At a public dialogue on preschool education organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in partnership with UNICEF at UNIT.City, the Aurora retail chain presented its own practical case — a corporate kindergarten as an effective model for business.

Olha Poliuga, Head of Corporate Culture, shared the experience of creating and developing this initiative, which emerged as a response to the real needs of employees.

At the center of the discussion is the balance between work and parenthood — an issue that directly affects people’s ability to stay in their profession, return to work after a career break, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Aurora’s corporate kindergarten is part of a holistic employee experience. It enables parents to combine work and childcare without compromising the quality of either role, reduces the overall burden on families, and allows employees to remain actively engaged in their work.

Such initiatives have a direct impact on the employer brand. They shape how a company is perceived not through messaging, but through real-life experience — in everyday work, during critical life moments, and when returning to a career. This is especially important for women, internally displaced persons, and veterans, for whom access to childcare is often a decisive factor.

At the same time, this case goes beyond a single company. It represents a practice that can be adapted and scaled. Integrating such solutions into a company’s operating model creates a more sustainable approach to team management and generates long-term value for both business and society.

Aurora was the only company to present this experience during the public dialogue — as an example of how businesses can implement solutions that not only work internally but also address broader challenges in the labor market and the preschool education system.