The Lincoln Family-Friendly Workplaces Certification recognizes employers who demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting working families with young children, implement family-friendly workplace practices for their employees, and help make Lincoln a great place to Live, Work, and Play by prioritizing family well-being and early childhood support.

Employers that meet at least 7 out of 10 qualifying criteria will receive the Lincoln Family-Friendly Workplace Certification:

Family-Centered Workplace Supports

1. Paid Parental Leave (maternity, paternity, or adoption)
   • Description: Paid time off for new parents helps families bond and adjust without losing income.
   • Example: A company provides 6 weeks of fully paid leave for all new parents, regardless of gender or whether the child is biological or adopted.
2. Flexible scheduling or remote/hybrid work options
   • Description: Flexibility allows employees to balance caregiving and work responsibilities.
   • Example: An employee with school-aged children can shift their hours to start early and finish by 3 p.m. or work remotely two days a week.
3. Caregiver support resources
   • Description: Employers provide programs, referrals, or assistance to help employees manage caregiving responsibilities for children, elders, or other dependents. This goes beyond basic leave and ensures families have access to practical support.
   • Example: An employer offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free counseling sessions, legal advice, and childcare referrals. Or, a workplace partners with a local nonprofit to provide parenting workshops or financial planning sessions for families.
4. Dedicated spaces and support for breastfeeding or pumping
   • Description: A private, clean, and comfortable space with proper amenities for nursing parents.
   • Example: A workplace provides a lactation room with a chair, electrical outlets, sink access, refrigeration, and a locking door.
5. Health benefits that include family and dependent coverage
   • Description: Health insurance options that cover spouses, children, and dependents.
   • Example: A company's health plan allows employees to add their children at a reduced group rate.

Childcare Support

1. Childcare stipends or flexible spending accounts
   • Description: Financial help to offset the high cost of childcare.
   • Example: An employer provides a $200 monthly stipend toward childcare or offers a Dependent Care FSA with pre-tax contributions.
2. Contributions to Lincoln Littles Tuition Assistance Program or other community-based childcare support efforts
   • Description: Businesses invest in broader community childcare solutions.
   • Example: A local bank donates annually to Lincoln Littles so that low- and middle-income families can access quality childcare.

Inclusive Culture & Community Engagement 

1. Workplace policies recognize and support all family types and caregiving structures
   • Description: Policies acknowledge that families come in many forms and ensure that benefits and supports apply equally, whether an employee is a single parent, stepparent, foster parent, adoptive parent, grandparent caregiver, or part of a two-parent household.
   • Example: Parental leave is offered to all new parents, including those who adopt, foster, or share caregiving responsibilities in blended families.
2. Opportunities for employees to engage in community events
   • Description: Paid volunteer time or company-sponsored service activities.
   • Example: Employees get one paid day per year to volunteer at a school, food bank, or early childhood program.
3. Offers family-inclusive workplace events or spaces
   • Description: Company gatherings or spaces where families are welcome.
   • Example: A business hosts an annual summer picnic with activities for kids or has a family lounge in its office building.

Complete the FREE self-assessment application online. Preview the application HERE. The application takes about 15 minutes to complete. The assessment/application is a valuable tool that both measures how family-friendly an organization is, as well as provides an opportunity to learn about the many family-friendly practices that businesses of all sizes might consider implementing.

Applications will be reviewed quarterly by the Lincoln Littles Board of Advisors Engagement Committee. You are welcome to reach out to Anne Brandt for more information on the next Engagement Committee meeting and review timeline.

APPLY HERE

Awardees receive:

• A Lincoln Family-Friendly Workplace Certification decal and digital badge.
• Recognition at Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development & Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Events.
• Inclusion on the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development and Lincoln Littles websites and social media platforms.
• Placement on a public Family-Friendly Workplaces map for job seekers and families.

Family-friendly workplace practices can refer to a variety of solutions, such as positioning themselves as a source of information for working parents, incorporating policies that keep schedules consistent and predictable, accommodating shift-swapping, and providing subsidies and vouchers for quality childcare.

• Learn more about potential solutions HERE.
• Learn about low-cost or no-cost ways to support childcare in your community HERE.
• Learn from example businesses stepping up to address childcare needs in Lincoln: Arbor Day Foundation, TMCO, and Hudl.
• Learn more about how business leaders can advocate for quality childcare HERE.
• See a list of family-friendly practices that organizations of all sizes might consider implementing HERE.

Being a source of information for working parents can be daunting. Here's a list of helpful resources you can share out:

• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) - The Child Tax Credit helps with the costs of raising children and is worth up to $2,000 per qualifying child. The EITC is a tax credit that may give you money back at tax time or lower the federal taxes that you owe. The main requirement is that you must earn money for a job. Eligible families can claim a credit worth a maximum of $7,830.
• Childcare Tax Credit - Refundable (CCTC-R) - Helps offset some of the financial pressures on families with young children under the age of 5 by offering either a $1,000 or $2,000 credit per child, depending on the family's annual household income and other eligibility requirements.
• MyLNK - The MyLNK app provides a free, one-step guide to participating cities' resources for people in need. This app makes it easy for families, case managers, and agencies to learn about, connect with, and utilize services.
• Step Up to Quality - Introduction to Nebraska's childcare quality and ratings improvement system. Step Up to Quality helps great childcare providers become even better. If you see that a childcare provider is enrolled in Step Up to Quality, you know that they are committed to being the very best.
• A wide variety of other resources can be found on Lincoln Littles Helpful Links page.