The Disneyland Resort has pledged $10 million annually for a new program to help Cast Members cover childcare costs.
Disneyland Resort President Josh D’Amaro announced the new program in a letter to Cast Members. The letter revealed that the program is open to part-time, full-time, and salaried workers. Additionally, assistance will be based on a number of factors including household size, gross annual household income, and space availability.
Disneyland Commits to Kids
The program is for Cast Members with children 12 years old or younger. Under the new plan, Disney workers can choose from an assortment of licensed childcare facilities. After that, payments will be made directly to the childcare providers. Consequently, this gets rid of the need for any kind of reimbursement to Disneyland cast members.
D’Amaro says the program is a direct result of employee input. “Earlier this year we conducted focus groups with a number of Cast Members to get their thoughts about childcare. To no surprise, Cast Members identified ‘cost’ as their most important concern.”
The new childcare program follows on the heels of other Cast Member programs aimed at creating a better work-life balance.
For example, Disney Aspire provides Disneyland and Walt Disney World Cast Members with free college tuition. Earlier this week, Walt Disney World Resort announced a partnership with the University Of Central Florida to provide campus and online courses.
Due to the recent happens at Disneyland, this commitment couldn’t come at a better time. The park recently had a huge influx of cast members with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening just today.
