Big Ideas for Lincoln’s Littles
Access to high-quality, affordable child care provides a big boost to Nebraska’s prosperity. It enables working parents to pursue careers, empowers businesses to attract and retain top talent and promotes community growth. And it helps families give the next generation of Nebraskans the start they need for lifelong success. Since 2019, Lincoln Littles has been working to transform the early childhood landscape in Lincoln so more children and working parents have access to the high-quality child care they need. Those efforts include working with local businesses to better understand and address the child care needs of their own employees
Here’s how one local business took big steps to help Lincoln’s littles.
Solution: On-site child care
Founded in Lincoln in 2006, Hudl is now a global leader in sports technology. About 98% of all high schools in the U.S. use Hudl’s software, along with 60,000 sports teams around the world, from the NBA to the English Premier League. The organization has about 2,200 employees worldwide but remains headquartered in Nebraska. It’s striving to be the best place to work in sports tech, especially for parents and caregivers.
As Hudl grew from startup to global brand, its employees—and their families—grew, too. Child care rose to the top as a compelling employee benefit. The end result—a partnership with Primrose Schools to deliver high-quality early care and education on site in downtown Lincoln.
Demand for the program has been strong and there’s already a waitlist for infant enrollment, said Mark Ketcham, SVP of business operations at Hudl. “People are just thrilled that their kiddos are just right downstairs. They can pop in over lunch if they want to,” said Ketcham. “The convenience is massive, and the quality of child care is phenomenal.”
In a tight job market, perks like on-site child care help Hudl stand out to prospective talent. The organization is partnering with First Five Nebraska to conduct a study on the center’s impact on employee engagement. While not every company can offer on-site child care, Ketcham hopes Hudl’s example will encourage other employers to consider new solutions to support working parents. And Hudl is more than happy to help.
“The goal here is to help everyone with child care, and if we can share our voice and lend a hand by sharing what we’ve done that’s been successful, we’re happy to do that.”