TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — FamilyMart said Wednesday it will open a children’s daycare center in Taipei’s Zhongshan District, making it the first retail company in Taiwan to establish its own company-run childcare facility.
FamilyMart invested NT$15 million (US$496,000) in the venture with the aim of providing support for employees raising children. The new daycare center will open on Sept. 22 in Taipei’s Zhongshan District, reported Storm Media.
The daycare reflects FamilyMart’s response the government’s initiative to expand and enhance childcare services for the public. In the announcement, FamilyMart said the facility embodies the company’s motto that “FamilyMart is Your Home.”
The facility has the capacity to care for 52 children, and children of FamilyMart employees have priority. However, the company is also accepting children from workers of nearby businesses.
The facility covers almost 100 square meters and is located on the third floor of the company’s headquarters. The basic monthly fee for childcare is set at NT$18,000 (US$595).
Three separate areas are allocated for the care of infants, 1-year-olds, and two-year-olds, with normal hours of operation from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m., with extensions available until 7:00p.m. The company is also reportedly providing diapers for the children at no extra charge for employees, per Storm Media.
General Manager Shui Tung-tu (薛東都) said that over 50% of support staff working at the companies headquarters have children or are of child-rearing age. He added that an internal company survey survey found that childcare support and flexible scheduling were the top two concerns of FamilyMart employees.
FamilyMart considers the new daycare facility as a symbol of its commitment to support its workers. The company aims to help workers balance their career and their family life in order to promote a healthy and inclusive working environment.
If the childcare services are well-received, the company will consider opening daycare facilities in other parts of Taiwan. In the future, the FamilyMart daycares may open their services to the general public.
