accommodations & support

Brain development research has advanced tremendously since Scott Peterson’s children were young. Peterson, Schwan’s Company chief human resources officer and father of three, did not realize that 80% of the foundation of the brain develops by age 3. When he learned about the lifelong impact of the first 1,000 days of life, Peterson was inspired to re-examine his company’s approach to supporting families. His team’s research into various programs and approaches led to two significant benefits enhancements: implementation of two Cleo programs and an extension of paid maternity leave. 

Cleo is a company that partners with employers to offer benefits for working parents and caregivers, from prenatal through 12 years old. Cleo Baby provides support and information to help employees from pregnancy through a child’s first birthday. The program answers questions about topics such as birth preparation, newborn care and feeding, newborn sleep, mental wellness for new parents, return to work and many more. 

Cleo Kids is designed for families with children between the ages of 1-12. The program covers topics such as positive discipline, childcare 101, creative learning, building healthy habits, and provides support on parental confidence, adolescent transition and more. 

Any Schwan’s Company employee can take advantage of the free benefit. Schwan’s Company rolled out Cleo on February 1, 2021, and has received great feedback from employees as they’ve learned about the program. 

According to Peterson, nearly 80% of the company’s employees are in the field, which means navigating family responsibilities and work can be a challenge for the parents and caregivers among their 7,500 employees.

“We have a talented workforce, and we want to retain our employees and help us remain an attractive place to work,” said Peterson. “We also see supporting families as part of our civic and societal role. We need to invest in children, particularly in those early months and years of life.”