Why Companies Invest

Why does the ABC exist, and why have competitive businesses come together under the same umbrella?

The ABC was formed in 1992 out of a growing awareness among leading businesses that employees were being stretched by child, school-age, and elder care responsibilities, and these pressures were directly impacting their effectiveness at work. At the same time, individual businesses realized the costs of providing a full range of services and supports was often expensive, particularly for companies with diverse work forces in a variety of locations.

In response to these pressures, the ABC was created with the knowledge that no individual company could do alone what the ABC is able to do collectively. With this central tenet in place, the purpose of the ABC is to:

Pool the funds of several companies in a geographic area where there is employee overlap.

Address the issues of equity and fairness among employees by targeting numerous forms of care - child care centers, family child care, school-age and backup programs, and elder care services.

Ensure that programs meet the dual needs of employers and communities by building upon the existing dependent care infrastructure.

Influence the provider community to be more customer-focused and responsive to the needs of working families.