Help on the home front
“It’s important to understand the role child care plays in supporting Harvard’s mission,” said Sarah Bennett-Astesano, assistant director of the Office of Work/Life. “When I get a phone call from a researcher who is, I don’t know, trying to cure cancer, and I can help that person secure reliable child care, it means she can get on with her work without having to worry about it. It lets us attract and maintain a more diverse work force.” Bennett-Astesano’s words are echoed time and again by Harvard employees trying to juggle careers and families. “Having so much support for child care makes it possible for a wider range of people to be here, or stay here,” said Ian Stokes-Rees, a research associate in biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the father of 3- and 6-year-old daughters. “How are we going to have future scientists if our current scientists...