Primrose School of Midland at Westridge Opens to Meet Critical Child Care Need for West Texas Employees

Oil companies put employees first by coming together to provide employer-sponsored child care for more than 240 children

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Primrose Schools

Apr 24, 2019, 10:11 ET

MIDLAND, Texas, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Primrose School of Midland at Westridge opened its doors April 15 to provide high-quality early education and care for more than 240 children, benefitting working parents across the region. The employer-sponsored school is a collaborative effort with the Primrose on Premise^® division of early education leader Primrose Schools^® and four major West Texas employers – Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Chevron U.S.A., EOG Resources and Occidental – to meet employee demand for quality child care.

Chevron U.S.A. employee Holly Anderson checks in her son at Primrose School of Midland at Westridge. The recent opening of this new employer-sponsored school marks a collaboration between Primrose on Premise® and four major oil companies in Midland, TX. Primrose School of Midland at Westridge offers support for working parents by providing high-quality early education and care for their children. (Brad Tollefson/AP Images for Primrose Schools)

Primrose School of Midland at Westridge teacher Euraliz Mavarez reads a book to children during reading time. The new employer-sponsored school marks a collaboration between Primrose on Premise® and four major oil companies – Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Chevron U.S.A., EOG Resources and Occidental – that are putting employees first by coming together to provide child care for more than 240 children in the Midland, TX region. (Brad Tollefson/AP Images for Primrose Schools)

Teacher Penelope Alarcon pushes two students on a swing set at Primrose School of Midland at Westridge, a new employer-sponsored school located near the offices of four oil companies that collaborated to create greater access to child care in Midland, TX. (Brad Tollefson/AP Images for Primrose Schools)

Motivated by the goals of supporting employees who are working parents and addressing the high demand for child care in Midland, the four participating energy companies noted the importance of the school's opening:

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation: "As we look to the future of the energy industry, we know Midland-based employees will continue to play a key role in driving the long-term success of the Permian and Delaware Basin. We want top-notch talent to see Midland as a career destination, and by providing premier early education and care, we reinforce that commitment by helping to deliver an exceptional quality of life for employees and their families." – Chad McAllaster, Vice President of Development for Delaware Basin
Chevron U.S.A.: "We're excited to support our employees and their families with high-quality, early childhood education. Not only does this child care center help our employees who deliver strong results for Chevron, the Permian and the country, but it will also help to prepare our next generation of West Texans, many of whom we look forward to see working at Chevron one day." – Don Puckett, General Manager Operations, Mid-Continent Business Unit
EOG Resources: "At the heart of EOG's success is our strong culture and our commitment to our employees. Wherever our employees live and work, we want them to have access to quality child care and educational opportunities. The opening of Primrose School of Midland at Westridge helps ensure this quality of life." – Jeff Leitzell, Vice President and General Manager, Midland
Occidental: "We take care of our employees who live, work and raise their families here. Our people are our most valuable asset, and to continue to grow and thrive in Midland, we will strive to support the quality education and child care programs working parents need. When we help ease the demands of everyday life through programs like this one, our employees have the freedom to focus on being successful at work." – Mark Grommesh, President and General Manager, Permian Resources, Midland Basin and Senior Executive, Midland Area

This collaborative effort has not only helped create greater access to child care for families throughout the Midland region, but has also differentiated these four employers by demonstrating their true commitment to supporting working parents. The opening of Primrose School of Midland at Westridge occurs as Midland continues to experience record job growth. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's most recent data examining the third quarter of 2018, employment in the area increased by nearly 12 percent – more than seven times the national average. As more families move to the region, the critical need for accredited and accessible child care continues to escalate.

"We are thrilled with the interest we've seen for our employer-sponsored business model from companies who seek to differentiate themselves by bringing high-quality early education and care to their employees and their families," said Jo Kirchner, CEO of Primrose Schools. "Through Primrose on Premise, there is great potential in leveraging this innovative approach to reduce the shortfall in early education and to propel the growth of Primrose Schools."

Experienced Primrose Franchise Owners Lou Ann and Michael McLaughlin own Primrose School of Midland at Westridge. Proud Texas residents, the McLaughlins own eight additional Primrose schools and are committed to delivering unparalleled early education and care to children and families.

"As a longtime educator and working mother, I am passionate about early education as a tool for future success," said Lou Ann McLaughlin. "For years, we've witnessed firsthand the impact that high-quality early learning experiences can have on children, and we are proud to bring the exclusive Primrose Experience^® to families in the Midland community."

Primrose School of Midland at Westridge serves children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old and offers after school care for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. The nearly 14,200-square-foot building has 15 private classrooms and nearly 20,000 square feet of secure, age-appropriate playground area. Additional features include a Primrose Patch for gardening and nature studies, as well as a splash pad for spring and summer activities. The school offers the Primrose-exclusive Balanced Learning^®approach, which blends purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to encourage curiosity, confidence, creativity and compassion.

Primrose School of Midland at Westridge located at 6100 Deauville Blvd., Midland, Texas 79706. More information about the school is available at PrimroseWestridge.com.

About Primrose on Premise^®Primrose on Premise focuses exclusively on providing high-quality employer-sponsored child care for large employers either at or near their businesses. Currently, there are two Primrose employer-sponsored schools in Midland as well as two locations with Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble (P&G). Primrose expects to announce additional Primrose on Premise growth news later this year.

Companies interested in learning more about Primrose on Premise should contact Tim Waldsmith, vice president of Primrose on Premise, at [email protected]. Additional information about Primrose on Premise employer-sponsored child care is also available at PrimroseSchools.com/OnPremise.

About Primrose Schools^®Primrose Schools is the leader in providing premier early education and care to children and families in the United States. Founded in 1982, there are nearly 400 Primrose schools in 29 states today. Each school is independently owned and operated by Franchise Owners who are provided a proven and time-tested business model and exclusive approach to early education, called Balanced Learning^®. Through Primrose on Premise^®, Primrose enables companies to provide employer-sponsored early childhood education and care at or near their worksites, which can help them enhance corporate culture and employee engagement. For more information, visit www.PrimroseSchools.com/OnPremise.

SOURCE Primrose Schools