Last year alone, 1.4 million moms left the workforce to spend more time with their families, according to Lori Kerrigan who is the co-founder of IncMoms.com, a nonprofit organization founded to assist stay-at-home mothers.

Those can be sobering statistics, especially for employers in Anchorage who struggle to attract and retain quality employees. Kate Slyker, director of marketing at the Nerland Agency, says there is no doubt good people are hard to find.

“In this market, you can't afford to not treat your people right and if you want to keep and retain talent, then you do things to make sure that happens,” Slyker said.

So what's Nerland's solution to combat the drive for parents to leave the workforce? Bring on the Baby Bjorns and Johnny Jump-Ups.

The trendy downtown agency that handles high profile campaigns, branding, marketing strategies and public relations happens to be family friendly. Bringing baby to work, flexible work hours, company-issued laptops, resources to link into the office from home and support to employees who need to take care of elderly parents are examples of how the company supports families. Half of the 30 employees at the agency use the policies as a means to balance home and work responsibilities, the company said.

“First and foremost our value at this company is that the family comes first. We all are dedicated to our jobs and our careers, but family to me is my most important priority and I know it is to everybody that works here,” said Rick Nerland, the company's president and CEO.

Nerland is one of seven businesses recently recognized with the 2008 Work Family Award, organized by Melinda Myers, director of Success by 6. Success By 6 is a United Way of Anchorage initiative supported by Best Beginnings: Alaska's Early Childhood Investment and Child Care Connection.

“The mission of Success By 6 is to spread the word about the critical importance of the early years and encourage community members in Anchorage to take action and invest in young children,” said Myers.

The Work Family awards support the Success By 6 mission by recognizing local employers who help their employees balance work and family through policies such as on-site childcare, insurance, flexible time and allowing children in the workplace.

Such policies helped Carley Lawrence, marketing strategist at Nerland, with her decision of whether to quit her job after her son Gavin was born two years ago. Lawrence said the company's support helped with the decision. She brought her son into the office until he was 7 months old and now strikes the balance with a 30-hour workweek.

“It made all of the difference in making that decision to stay at home or come back. Having a work environment that was so supportive made it an easier decision,” said Lawrence.