MATA partnering with TOOTRiS Child Care On-Demand to provide new child care benefits to attract employees

The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is partnering with TOOTRiS Child Care On-Demand to provide new Child Care benefits in order to attract employees. The benefits include $200 per month in financial assistance.

MATA working parents now have access to the TOOTRiS platform, enabling them to quickly search, vet and enroll their children in real-time. With over 185,000 licensed child care providers on its nationwide network, TOOTRiS provides parents options including full-time, part-time care, drop-in care, after-school programs, summer camps and care for non-standard hours - an important option for drivers with night and weekend shifts.

"We're proud of the valued service our team provides to Memphis, with over five million passenger trips each year," said Bacarra Mauldin, deputy chief executive officer of MATA. "By partnering with TOOTRiS, we are appealing to a new generation of workers who care about the community and want to work for an organization that cares about them."

The number of bus drivers across the U.S. is declining as many are nearing retirement. A recent American Public Transportation Association survey found the average transit operator is nearly 53 years old, more than 10 years older than workers in other industries. With the cost of child care for two children in Tennessee averaging $16,199, offering child care benefits is a way to help parents while providing a rewarding job.

"Innovative agencies like MATA realize that to attract the next generation of employees, you need a culture that supports their families as well," said Alessandra Lezama, TOOTRiS CEO and select member of the ReadyNation CEO Task Force on Early Childhood. "They are an excellent example of how employers can support working parents by providing turn-key child care benefits - specifically as it enables more women to return to the workforce."