Can Child-Care Benefits Keep Teachers in the Classroom? : Some school districts are finding a payoff in providing child care for educators

While school initiatives to boost teacher retention tend to focus on mentoring, instructional coaching, or salary bonuses, they rarely address one of the most common reasons teachers leave: family.

Yet a handful of districts nationwide have found that the upfront costs of providing child care for their teachers pay for themselves in greater teacher flexibility and retention.

"This is a huge need of that workforce," said Taryn Morrissey, an associate professor of public policy at Amer...