Tyson Foods recently announced that it plans to invest approximately $70 million in its Hope, Arkansas broiler hatchery. The company also announced the opening of an employee child care facility near its Humboldt, Tennessee processing facility.
The new hatchery will replace an existing facility and will triple its capacity, supporting nearby processing facilities in Hope and Nashville, Arkansas. The hatchery is expected to be completed in late 2024.
“This investment is another way to demonstrate our long-term commitment to our home state of Arkansas and the Hope and Nashville communities,” Tyson Foods President and CEO Donnie King said.
Tyson Foods also announced the opening of an employee-sponsored child care facility to support its Humboldt, Tennessee processing complex. The nearly $5 million investment will support more than 100 children that are 5-years-old and younger along with a staff of 20. Known as the Tyson Learning Center, it will be operated and managed by KinderCare. Tyson Foods plans to subsidize tuition to lower the cost for team members.
“I’m proud of our company’s approach to make high-quality child care accessible and affordable for our team members. We recognize child care services can be a barrier to enter the workforce, which is why have worked on this solution to provide child care options that support our team members,” Tyson Foods Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Johanna Söderström, said.
According to data compiled by Child Care Aware, as noted in Tyson Foods’ press release, the average price of child care in 2022 was nearly $11,000. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that child care cost no more than seven percent of a parent’s annual income. However, research shows many couples spend 10 percent of their median income, and a single parent can spend as much as 33 percent, on child care. Through the TLC facility, parents receive a child care cost benefit that can be used to reduce other family expenses.
“We know from [KinderCare’s] Parent Confidence Report that child care benefits are second to health insurance in retaining employees, a benefit all the more important in rural areas like Humboldt where there are more families needing care than there are child care options,” President of KinderCare Dan Figurski said. “We’re proud to partner with Tyson in supporting their working families in a center custom-designed to meet their specific needs. We’re looking forward to welcoming children to the Tyson Learning Center later this month.”
