http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/291194-report-trump-touted-nonexistent-childcare-programs-forAugust 11, 2016, 06:18 pm
Report: Trump touted nonexistent childcare programs for employeesBy Jesse Byrnes
GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump has touted on-site childcare service for his employees, but there is no evidence such programs exist, according to an Associated Press report published Thursday.
Trump's comments in Newton, Iowa, in November 2015 have come into focus after the businessman outlined his tax proposals earlier this week, which included a plan for a tax deduction for childcare expenses.
The AP reported Thursday that there was no evidence Trump provided on-site childcare for his employees, despite the businessman remarking on a pair of programs last year.
"It's not an expensive thing, and I do it all over. And I get great people because of it. Because it's a problem with a lot of other companies," Trump said, according to the AP.
"They call 'em Trump Kids. Another one calls it Trumpeteers, if you can believe it. I have 'em. I actually have 'em, because I have a lot of different businesses," Trump said of the programs.
The AP said the two programs cater to patrons of Trump's hotels and golf club and they are not meant for Trump's employees, according to staff at his properties.
Several Trump employee handbooks reviewed by the AP didn't reference childcare. Health care, paid time off, tuition reimbursement and other benefits are mentioned in the online Trump Hotels' employee benefit section, according to the report.
"The Trump Organization is very proud of the family-friendly environment it fosters throughout its portfolio," Jill Martin, vice president and assistant general counsel at the Trump Organization, said in a statement shared with the AP.
"The policies and practices allowing employees to enjoy a healthy work-life balance vary from property to property. We take an individualized approach to helping employees manage family and work responsibilities."
