The shared office space sector has evolved immensely over time as it’s become a huge part of the workplace industry. Now, with over 14,000 coworking spaces around the world, companies are trying to find unique ways to stand out from the competition.
Some spaces offer networking events and game rooms, but a big upcoming trend is accommodating working parents with childcare services.
A 2018 Global Coworking Survey found that only 26% of coworking spaces were child-friendly, compared to 39% being dog-friendly.
Since the typical coworking demographic consists of younger generations, operators seek to cater to their needs. Despite this, the average age for first-time mothers is 26, meaning many coworking members already have children. So why is on-site childcare difficult to find?
First, requirements for childcare services can be quite demanding, such as space specifications and staff-to-child ratios. One of the perks of coworking is being able to drop in at anytime, which also hurts the case for childcare since employees need to have foresite on how many children they will be watching after.
Despite this, many coworking hubs are finding a way to meet these challenges and accommodate parents. For example, Nido in Durham, North Carolina mixes their on-site Montessori school with a shared office space.
