When you look at your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy, what do you see? Most likely, you have robust policies covering gender, race, disability, and sexual orientation. These are vital. But there is often a silent demographic within your workforce that is juggling a complex, invisible workload: those with significant family responsibilities.
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True inclusion means looking at the whole person, not just the parts of them that walk through the office door. By widening your lens to include parents and carers, you will build a resilient, loyal, and deeply empathetic workforce.
Recognise the Hidden Shift
Your employees don’t stop being parents or carers when they log on at 9 am. For many, the workday is sandwiched between the school run, coordinating medical appointments, or managing the emotional needs of a child. This is especially true for staff members who are foster carers working with agencies like Orange Grove Foster Care.
Foster carers face a unique set of challenges that go beyond standard parenting. They deal with meetings with social workers, sudden placement changes, and supporting children who may have experienced trauma. When you acknowledge this, perhaps by offering specific leave days for foster training or settling-in periods, you send a powerful message. You tell them that their contribution to society is valued and that their job is a safe harbour, not another source of stress.
Flexibility is the Foundation
The most effective tool you have is flexibility. But this doesn’t just mean allowing someone to work from home on a Friday. It requires a cultural shift where “family first” is a respected principle, not a guilty secret.
Consider implementing “banked hours” or core hours that allow for the unpredictability of family life. If a parent needs to leave early for a school play or a carer needs to take a foster child to an urgent appointment, they shouldn’t feel their career is on the line. When you trust your team to manage their time, they almost always repay that trust with higher productivity and dedication. They stay because they know you have their back.
Create a Culture of Openness
Policies are just words on a page if the culture doesn’t support them. You need to create an environment where people feel safe discussing their home lives without fear of judgement.
Encourage your leadership team to lead by example. If a manager leaves loudly at 3pm to pick up their children, it gives permission for everyone else to do the same. Create support networks or employee resource groups specifically for parents and carers. These spaces allow staff to share resources, advice, and emotional support. It transforms a solitary struggle into a shared experience, building bonds between colleagues that go deeper than just work tasks.
Expanding your DEI strategy to embrace family responsibilities is a journey worth taking. It is about recognising the humanity in your workforce. When you support the parents and foster carers in your organisation, you are investing in people who are adept at crisis management, empathy, and multitasking, skills that are invaluable in any business. By making space for their families, you make your company a place where everyone can truly thrive.
