By Kristen Lewis

When Guest Relations Host Michael Sinatra and his wife had their second baby, they were prepared for child care expenses to skyrocket. So when Disneyland Resort rolled out its child care program in 2019, they signed up.

“When the program started, I was very grateful for it, because having two kids, as opposed to one, in day care was definitely a hefty expense,” Sinatra said. “I was really excited to have that support.”

The program is designed to meet the needs of working parents by offering Anaheim-based full-time and part-time Disneyland Resort cast members a choice of more than 70 select locations in the Learning Care Group family of brands. An exclusive, extended-hours pilot program began Sept. 6 at ChildTime Anaheim, offering childcare on the weekends and during extended evening hours, just for the children of Disneyland Resort cast members. Cast may also apply to receive financial assistance; the program includes assistance to assess individual needs and identify other available child care resources as well.

“The fact that [The Walt Disney Company] does pay so much and really takes care of that financial aspect makes [me] feel very appreciated. … It’s a peace of mind knowing that your kids are being taken care of and that [The Walt Disney Company] cares about them,” said Sinatra, who added that his children are thriving in the program. “There are all kinds of kids from all kinds of backgrounds, so I’m really happy that my kids can be in that kind of environment. They definitely enjoy it and they have developed socially.