According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Database of Child Care prices populated from child care prices in more than 2,000 U.S. counties, child care prices are largely untenable for families across the nation. Moreover, price ranges are equivalent to between 8 percent and 19.3 percent of the median family income per child in paid care.
Tyson Foods recognizes the cost of child care is an important issue that affects team members across all business units. Through encouraging feedback and listening to team member needs, the company is able to begin addressing this issue at the local level by offering quality, affordable and accessible child care through the first official Tyson Learning Center (TLC) in Humboldt, Tennessee.
Tyson Foods’ nearly $5 million investment in team member child care marks a monumental milestone for the company. Not only is the TLC the first Tyson-sponsored on-site child care facility, but this investment also comes when child care costs continue to rise across the country.
Operated and managed by KinderCare, the TLC will support more than 100 children, 5 years of age and younger, and employ a staff of 20.
An Award-Winning Reception
Tyson Foods hosted a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 18 to celebrate this milestone and a recent honor from the Best Place for Working Parents.
Representatives from Tyson Foods, KinderCare and local and state government attended the program, with team members and their children who will be enrolled in the program performing the ribbon-cutting honor.
Read on as the company’s local and enterprise leadership celebrate the opening of the TLC and the official acceptance of the Best Place for Working Parents Innovator Award.
Johanna Söderström | Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer
“The Tyson Learning Center is a true example of the power of collaboration. It started as a simple question from a team member at Humboldt that sparked a collaboration between Tyson, the city of Humboldt and the state of Tennessee that made affordable and accessible child care possible for our team members.
We feed the world at Tyson, but our home is in communities like Humboldt, Tennessee. We’re proud to open this unique facility, a place that will help both our team members and their children thrive.”
Josh King | Humboldt Complex Manager
“We listened to our team members and recognized they needed help with child care. Our great state of Tennessee was such a good partner in recognizing the uniqueness of this company-sponsored facility and how trying something like this could spark change in the workplace, inspiring other businesses to explore this option. This is all about improving the lives of our team members and their children.”
Shane Parks | Senior Vice President and General Manager, Dedicated Tray Pack
“If you know anything about Tyson Foods, our purpose is to raise the world’s expectations of how much good food can do.
We have a mission to feed the world, and we can make that happen by making positive changes in the lives of our team members. They are the backbone of our company and what the Tyson Learning Center is all about.”
The TLC opening in Humboldt marks the company’s second major investment in child care offerings for team members. In November 2021, Tyson Foods partnered with the Maverick Boys & Girls Club in Amarillo, Texas, to launch the Night Owl Program, which supports the care of 40 children whose parents work the afternoon and evening shifts.
Finding new ways to continually invest in team members has always been a top priority– whether supporting their health and well-being through new programs like Living Well at Tyson or their personal and professional development through Upward Academy educational offerings.
As Tyson Foods continues on the journey to become the most sought-after place to work in the communities where the company operates, child care offerings are just one way the company supports team members and their families. To learn about opportunities with Tyson Foods, visit www.tysonfoods.com/careers.