Overview
School holidays create real pressure for working parents. Balancing childcare with professional responsibilities can reduce productivity, increase leave usage, and add stress.
In Spring 2024, Service Stream partnered with KidsCo to deliver an on-site school holiday program for employees.
The result was a measurable uplift in productivity, retention, and workplace culture, particularly for primary carers.
The Challenge
For many organisations, school holidays present a consistent operational challenge:
Employees balancing care responsibilities with work
Increased reliance on personal and carers leave
Lower in-office attendance
Greater impact on primary carers, particularly women
Service Stream also set a clear objective: Increase women in leadership to 25% by 2025
Supporting primary carers was a key step toward achieving this.
The Solution
KidsCo partnered with Service Stream to deliver a fully facilitated, on-site school holiday program designed for working parents.
The 3-day pilot program enabled employees to:
Bring their children to a safe and engaging environment at work
Stay focused on their role throughout the day
Remain present in the office without childcare disruption
The Impact
Productivity and Work Continuity
+3.5 hours additional productive time per day
72% maintained their normal work schedules
100% said it encouraged them to come into the office
Reduced Leave Pressure
81% avoided using personal or carers leave
Retention and Engagement
88% were less likely to seek work elsewhere due to the availability of the program
100% reported improved workplace culture
Supporting Gender Equality
78% of participants were primary carers
86% of those were women
78% believe the initiative positively impacts gender equity goals
What Employees Said
“This program has been a game changer. I can focus on my work knowing my child is well cared for.”
“It enabled me to come into the office when I otherwise would not have been able to.”
“Seeing colleagues with their kids brought a different energy and level of connection to the workplace.”
Why It Worked
This was not just a childcare solution. It was a workplace strategy.
By removing a key barrier for working parents, Service Stream:
Improved productivity without increasing workload
Strengthened employee loyalty
Created a more inclusive and connected culture
What’s Next
Following the success of the pilot, Service Stream has:
Expanded the program across multiple sites for every school holiday period in 2025/2026
Continued to track gender equality and leadership outcomes
Building more targeted support for primary carers
Bring This to Your Workplace
School holidays do not have to disrupt your workforce.
KidsCo delivers structured, teacher-led programs that support employees and drive measurable business outcomes.
Need us in your workplace? Enquire now!
