Bright Horizons (NYSE:BFAM) today announced that it has partnered with OneTen – a coalition of business and education leaders committed to upskilling, hiring and promoting one million Black Americans over the next 10 years into family-sustaining jobs – to provide flexible family care services for those seeking career advancement through the initiative. In its first year, OneTen member companies have experienced an 89% retention rate and more than 20,000 hires and promotions for Black talent. This partnership is an extension of Bright Horizons’ current role as a OneTen member and endorsed talent developer, leveraging its deep experience in creating pathways to help upskill the American workforce and help employers build career pathways for Black talent.

According to the Bright Horizons’ “Workforce Education and Equity in the Workplace” report, 87% of working Americans feel learning new skills is important for success down the line, with 90% of Black workers believing such advances will be important for them to succeed in the future. Yet less than half of all employees have been able to pursue an education program in the last five years, stating money, time and busy personal lives as the biggest barriers to education.

“Everyone at every age deserves a great education. And inequitable access to education for Black Americans has led to inequities that have persisted for generations,” says Bright Horizons Chief Executive Officer Stephen Kramer. “By helping to remove barriers for adults trying to advance their education and their careers, we can make a very real impact on their lives and the lives of their children.”

Through Bright Horizons’ flexible care services, participants in OneTen upskilling programs can book last-minute child and elder care to assist with unexpected situations. This offering is intended to remove one of the major barriers for Black talent pursing education programs to advance their careers.

“Securing a family-sustaining job is often half the battle for talent balancing many of life’s challenges,” says Maurice Jones, Chief Executive Officer of OneTen. “We understand the diversity of family needs Black talent may experience and are proud to invest in wraparound services that can enable them to thrive in all aspects of their lives and careers.”

Bright Horizons has been recognized for its work in promoting inclusion and diversity, including being named in Forbes’ list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” Fortune’s “Best Workplaces for Diversity,” the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which has recognized the company for 17 consecutive years.

About Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.

Bright Horizons^® is a leading global provider of high-quality early education and child care, back-up care, and workforce education services. For more than 30 years, we have partnered with employers to support workforces by providing services that help working families and employees thrive personally and professionally. Bright Horizons operates approximately 1,000 early education and child care centers in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and India, and serves more than 1,300 of the world’s leading employers. Bright Horizons’ early education and child care centers, back-up child and elder care, and workforce education programs help employees succeed at each life and career stage. For more information, go to www.brighthorizons.com.

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