Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 2016 — Company opens baby-friendly office for new moms [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Company opens baby-friendly office for new moms

ByTreenaShapiro Hawai'i's high child care costs force many expectant parents to contemplate how they're going to manage onee their babies arrive. Scott and Karen Gardner heeame acutely aware of this last year when three of their 26 employees were pregnant at the same time and one more was caring for a toddler. "They all gave birth last year," Karen says. "They were kind of nervous because of the expenses and they didn't know what we were going to do." When Native Hawaiian-owned Scott Gardner & Co., LLC, opened its doors in 2004 to help uninsured hospital and nursing home patients apply for Medicaid and QUEST coverage, the Gardners

dedicated the new business to God. Last year that calling inspired them to find a way to alleviate some of their employees' burdens. Karen, whose children are all adults, even considered becoming a full-time babysitter to help. "We really cherish and love our employees," she says. Ultimately, the Gardners decided to lease a third suite in Nā Lama Kukui, where they already had an office and a conference room. Last November, they opened up a baby-friendly office — eomplete with play and quiet areas — and moved four moms into the space so they could bring their babies to work with them. Not only has that relieved some hnaneial stress, it also allows the mothers to witness milestones they might have otherwise missed, such as when one baby took

NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS his first steps during the workday. While the new office raises the Gardners' rent, they think it's worth it to invest in their employees. "We're like family," says Karen. "It's become a blessing for us and a blessing for them." The new office space is a gatedcommunity, Scott jokes as he opens the door to the office, whieh is outfitted with baby gates to keep the newly mobile babies near their moms. Aside from an playpen set up near a desk, the gates are only immediate elue this office is different from the others. Until a baby babbles, that is. Then another laughs as his mom, Maile Tua, pulls him onto her lap. He's Maile's second son. Her first, now 6, went to daycare at nine months. Tuition was more than $1,000 a month, Maile recalls. Having her younger son at work has made a tremendous difference financially and she no longer has a fear of missing out on her baby's "firsts." "I like it," she says. "It's a lot easier for me just

having him here. I missed a lot with my first son." Tanya Higa, a first-time mom, said she'd been considering dropping to part-time after giving birth. The new office not only allowed her to continue working full-time, but even allowed her to return to work earlier than she'd planned. While still a work in progress, Karen says the new arrangement is working so far. The moms eome in early and sometimes work on weekends to make sure all the work gets done, so productivity hasn't been an issue. Since many of their employees are relatively young, Scott anticipates

keeping the othce open tor years to eome. Qriginally Scott's solo operation, Scott Gardner & Co. was launched with a loan from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to help cover the start-up expenses. Over the past 13 years, the company has grown considerably and now holds contracts with six O'ahu hospitals and a number of nursing homes that refer uninsured patients to the eompany. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has loan programs to give entrepreneurs and existing business owners access to the credit and capital they need to start and improve their businesses. Visit www.oha.org/loans for information about the Mālama Loan Program and the Hua Kanu Business Loan Program. ■

We're like family. It's become a blessing for us and a blessing for them." — Karen Gardner, co-owner of Scott Gardner & Co., LLC

Scoft and Karen Gardner rented an extra office space to give new moms the option to bring their babies to work instead of paying expensive daycare costs or missing out on bonding time. - Photos: īreena Skpiro