How To Incorporate Childcare Into Your Coworking Space

Let’s face it — many working parents dream of working in a coworking space where they can focus on their tasks, knowing their kids are being taken care of just a few steps away.

For coworking space owners, this provides a unique opportunity to expand their target market and stand out in a competitive industry. Plus, adding childcare can justify premium pricing, making it a win-win for you and your customers.

But is adding childcare the right move for your coworking space? And if it is, what factors do you need to consider to make it work?

In this article, we discuss the pros and cons of having a coworking space with childcare and provide you with practical tips for making it a successful addition. We also share examples of coworking spaces with childcare to help inspire your project.

Quick Summary

• Adding childcare to your coworking space is a great way to expand your audience and boost retention rates.
• There are some challenges to adding childcare to a coworking space, including added regulations and risk of liability.
• If you decide to add childcare to your services, you need to hire appropriate staff, plan the design of your space, and make sure you set clear policies.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Adding Childcare to Your Coworking Space?

To make an informed decision about whether or not you want to add childcare to your list of coworking services, you first need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of doing so.

Pros

Let’s look at why you should consider adding childcare to your coworking space.

• Expand your audience: According to projections, there will be close to 42,000 coworking spaces worldwide by the end of 2024. Depending on where your space is located, that could mean more competition. Targeting a more niche audience, such as working parents, is an excellent way to set yourself apart in the market and attract more members.
• Boost retention rates: Adding childcare solves a unique problem for busy parents, which could keep them around longer. Parents who find their work-life balance improved by your space won’t hesitate to renew their membership, creating long-term loyalty.
• Foster a unique sense of community: Parents often gravitate toward social groups with shared experiences. A coworking space with childcare can help your members build friendships with other parents, fostering a sense of belonging and making your space more valuable to your members.
• Charge higher prices: Childcare services add significant value to your space, allowing you to charge higher rates for childcare-inclusive plans. Busy parents will be willing to pay more for facilities that offer high-quality childcare just a few steps away from them.

Cons

While it may seem like an excellent idea, offering childcare also comes with unique challenges. These include the following:

• Added regulations: Facilities with childcare are heavily regulated to ensure kids’ safety. You need to follow local childcare rules. You may need to get a childcare license and hire trained workers.
• Higher costs: The initial costs of setting up childcare facilities can be high since you’ll need to expand your space, purchase child-safe furniture, and equip play areas with plenty of toys and educational materials. Plus, the ongoing costs can also be high as you’ll need to pay salaries for staff and invest in program development.
• Risk of liability: Offering childcare opens up your business to legal risks. You’ll likely need to expand your business’s insurance coverage and have parents sign parental agreements and wavers in case of accidents.
• Requires more space: Balancing the needs of childcare facilities with your coworking areas can be difficult. You’ll either need to reduce space availability for your coworking members to make room for the childcare space, or you’ll have to expand your building.

Examples of Coworking Spaces With Childcare

While there are certainly some challenges when adding childcare to your coworking space, it’s more than possible. Below are some examples of successful coworking spaces with childcare.

Workplayce

Workplayce is a childcare coworking space in New York City. It’s designed to give parents a place to focus so they can get work done while knowing their little ones are having fun nearby.

It offers members childcare for kids five months to six years, enrichment classes for kids, and communal spaces where parents can work or play alongside their kids. Members have access to soundproof phone booths, zen-inspired conference rooms, and enclosed workspaces.

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BubbaDesk

Located in Australia, BubbaDesk is perfect for parents with small kids, including toddlers. The space allows parents to pursue career and business opportunities and fitness goals (with a gym and shower) while remaining close to their young kids.

The space offers:

• Hot desks
• Private phone booths
• Separate kids areas
• 4:1 care ratio (meaning there’s one caretaker for every four kids)
• Dark sleep rooms for naps

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Itsy Bitsy

Itsy Bitsy is located in Chicago. It offers flexible membership options, allowing parents to sign up for the hours and services they need. The coworking space includes high-speed Wi-Fi, printers, and unlimited drip coffee.

The childcare — called playcare — component lets members work with peace of mind. Trained childcare professionals watch over the kids in engaging play spaces while parents work.

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How to Add Childcare to Your Coworking Space

If you’ve decided that you want to add childcare services to your coworking space, there are some steps you need to take to stay compliant and ensure you keep existing members happy.

1. Start With Research

First, assess your current situation and survey your members to determine whether childcare services are needed in your coworking space.

If you have a successful coworking space where most of your members aren’t parents and you’re making a decent income already, remember that childcare can drive some of your members away and increase your costs.

That said, if most of your members are parents and you want to move forward, it’s time to analyze the market to see if you’ll compete with any coworking spaces with childcare in your area. If so, try to determine market gaps that can set you apart.

Also, check local regulations, such as zoning laws, childcare licensing requirements, and health and safety standards, to ensure compliance.

2. Hire Experts

Hire licensed childcare professionals with early childhood development, CPR, and first aid certifications. Conduct background checks and provide ongoing training to maintain trust and professionalism.

Alternatively, you can partner with established daycare providers. Not only does this remove the burden of hiring individuals, but it also removes much of the admin work.

In addition, consider consulting a coworking consultant.

3. Design a Functional and Safe Space

Designing a space that accommodates kids and parents can be tricky and requires a lot of planning and attention to detail. You need to consider things such as:

• Managing noise through soundproofing so as not to disturb your members
• Equipping play areas with toys, books, and fun activities
• Incorporating secure entry points, childproof furniture, and safety features to keep kids safe and give parents peace of mind
• Creating parent-child interaction zones, such as nursing rooms and parent-child dining areas

Pro tip: Instead of going all in immediately, you can start small by introducing childcare as a pilot program to gauge responses before committing to significant structural changes.

4. Offer Flexible Membership Options

You can offer different membership options — those with childcare and those without.

The annual cost of childcare in the US can be extremely expensive, ranging from $5,000 to over $10,000 for 4-year-old care and $6,000 to over $15,000 for infant care. You need to keep this in mind when setting up your prices.

However, since you’re offering childcare at a larger scale (one-to-many instead of one-to-one), your prices must be lower. To determine fair pricing and package structures, you can look at competitors like BubbaDesk.

5. Establish Clear Policies

Make sure you manage parent expectations by setting clear guidelines. Consider your operating hours, capacity limits, illness protocols, and parental access.

• Will you be offering childcare seven days a week? Five days a week?
• What are the rules regarding sick children?
• Where should parents drop off and pick up their little ones?
• Where are parents allowed to visit their kids during the day?

Also, determine your capacity limit based on your facility’s size and staff-to-child ratio.

6. Promote Your Unique Coworking Space

You can use various online and traditional methods when marketing your coworking space with added childcare. For example, you can use social media, paid advertising, or partner with local businesses, such as cafés.

Another smart way to promote your coworking space is to create referral programs so parents can invite other parents to join.

Word of mouth is often one of the most effective marketing methods and can help you build a coworking community of like-minded members with similar interests.

Be sure to highlight the convenience of added childcare in all your marketing material. This will be a massive selling point and could help you stand out from other bigger coworking space brands.

Manage Your Coworking Space With OfficeRnd Flex

The cost of creating a coworking space can be high. But, with the industry growing, it’s often well worth the investment. Adding childcare to your space can help you stand out in the market, retain your members, and allow you to charge higher prices.

To manage your space efficiently, you need the right tech partner. Enter OfficeRnD Flex.

Combining ease of use on the front-end and deep customization in the back-end, OfficeRnD Flex allows operators to white-label their member experience, automate billing, and make data-driven workplace decisions.

Book your live demo today to see how this tool can help your coworking space run more efficiently.

FAQ

Is a Coworking Space with Childcare a Good Business Idea?

Yes, a coworking space with childcare can be highly profitable. Not only does the added childcare give you a competitive advantage, but it also allows you to charge higher membership rates.

That said, you must remember that profits may only come later as the initial startup costs for setting up childcare facilities and hiring appropriate staff will be steep.

What Amenities Should a Kid-Friendly Coworking Space Have?

A child-friendly coworking space needs to support both productivity and child development. So, some essential features to consider include:

• Dedicated learning and creative areas for children
• Safe and stimulating play areas
• Qualified childcare professionals or established daycare providers
• Parent-child interaction zones
• Child-safe furniture and restrooms
• A collection of classes and workshops to keep children entertained
• Onsite cafeteria with nutritious meal options for children

Do Parents Need to Stay Onsite at Coworking Spaces With Childcare?

Ideally, you want parents to remain onsite since this can reduce the regulation load. For example, in some states, such as Massachusetts, coworking spaces qualify for licensure exemption if the child’s parent or guardian remains on the premises and can immediately tend to the child’s needs.