Growing concerns about child-care shortages, quality issues and costs are fueling increased interest in employer-assisted child-care cooperatives. Developing these cooperatives can be good for business because they help with employee recruitment, retention and reduced absenteeism, according to Kim Coontz, director of cooperative child-care research and education at UC Davis. "Cooperative models offer innovative ways for employers to finance and implement employer-assisted child care," says Coontz. One cooperative model is the consortium, created when a group of employers form a cooperative in order to share the expenses of establishing and operating a child-care facility for their employees. The cooperative structure allows the employers to share control and limit their liability. UC Davis is co-sponsoring a symposium on employer-assisted cooperative child care on Friday, April 15, at the Hilton Hotel in Pasadena. The child-care cooperative research program at UC Davis provides models and options for businesses interested in tailoring child-care programs to fit their needs.