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Councilman proposes city of Pittsburgh offer free day care to employees

A Pittsburgh councilman wants the city to offer free child care to employees in some situations.

Councilman Dan Gilman will introduce legislation during Tuesday's city council meeting to begin asking for bids.

He says this will make a big difference for city workers who depend on child care to do their jobs.

“The great thing with this kind of pop up childcare, you can do it anywhere in the building,” he said. "You can use any conference room, you can use any extra meeting room. The companies, they’ll usually bring the games."

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Jennifer Gula works in the city's finance department and has a 7-year-old son in first grade. But there are 15 days a year that Pittsburgh Public Schools is closed and city offices are still open.

“It's a bit tricky,” she said. “I would have to leave him with a parent or another loved one. At this stage of the game, he doesn't go to normal daycare anymore.”

Gilman’s legislation would allow the city to provide free child care to employees on those days when school is closed but city offices are open.

The city also wants to provide childcare to the public during 20 city-sponsored community meetings each year.

Ggilman told Channel 11 they've already tried out the idea twice, including Election Day.

Mayor Bill Peduto endorsed the idea, saying no parent should have to take a day off to be active in the community, and providing at-work childcare is good for morale and performance.

“It's nice to be able to have it free to us as well because ... I'm a single parent, I work two jobs, so this was really beneficial for me to take advantage of,” Gula said.

Gilman believes the cost will be around $50,000, and the plan is to have the daycare available for next school year.

 

Cox Media Group

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