This Ann Arbor store allows its employees to bring their kids to work

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Rising childcare costs are affecting parents around the country, and in some cases, parents have to choose between working and staying home with their kids.

The owner of the children's store The Little Seedling , Molly Ging, brought her young kids to work when she opened the shop 21 years ago.

She soon allowed other employees to do the same.

"It started off just allowing them to bring babies," said Ging. "Those babies then grew up and they stayed at work, so we eventually grew into just kind of allowing children of any age to come to the store."

She said the benefit is obvious.

"I mean, the best people to sell our products are parents who use the product," she said. "And with the cost of daycare, it just really isn't feasible for most people to work in retail if they have to pay $15-$20 an hour for daycare. Even if you can find daycare, it's certainly hard to find care in this town."

According to a study by SmartAsset, in 2023 Ann Arbor was the sixth most expensive place to raise a child in the U.S., with families paying more than $22,000 per year on childcare.

Year after year, Ann Arbor has ranked as having the highest average cost for daycare in Michigan.

Currently, some full-time private daycare centers cost more than $2,500 per month.

"Prior, I had to be a stay-at-home mom just because of the cost of daycare," said employee Nicole John, who brings her 10-month-old son Nolan to work. "And it weighed down on our family not being able to work, so it's so exciting to be able to bring him, work, and also bring in extra income as well."

Sky Young brings her three children to work with her.

She said they look forward to it.

"They have a blast," said Young. "They love playing and riding scooters around. I've also seen my son help customers pick stuff out to buy. He'll follow customers around and talk to them."

In a time when rising costs are forcing parents to make difficult childcare decisions, The Little Seedling has been able to meet their employee's family needs.

"Being able to bring them allows them to bring home meaningful income," said Ging. "Also, spend time with other parents who are in the same situation as them. We operate as a village here. We all help take care of each other's kids; we're very supportive around each other.

"So, for a new parent who brings their kids here, it's a lot of community for them. So, it means a lot to them. I tend to have a lot of retention from my employees because the benefit they gain from being here with their kids is huge."

The Little Seedling is located at 2465 W. Stadium Blvd.