Lorien joins Howard County nonprofit workforce development program

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Lorien Health Services on Tuesday became the first major employer to sign on with WorkHER, the workforce development and readiness program from JustLiving Advocacy, a nonprofit in Howard County that provides child care financial assistance and other services to support single parents.

The program was recognized as an innovation leader earlier this month with a grant from Howard County Executive Calvin Ball for addressing the needs of single-parent households. Thirty-five percent of U.S. children are growing up in single-parent households and 80% of these are headed up by women.

WorkHer is a free service linking employers and employees. JustLiving augments the program by providing child care financial assistance and workforce readiness training assistance to clients in need. Nette Stokes, founder and executive director for JustLiving Advocacy, said she believes WorkHER will spur quicker hiring for employers and ease the journey out of unemployment for qualified candidates.

An employer partnership is free and Lou Grimmel, CEO of Lorien Health Services, encourages other Howard County employers to join, saying the pandemic has thrown into stark relief the issues single parents face in the workforce and the employers who ignore these issues are going to get left behind.

Lorien Health Services is a family-owned nursing home and assisted living company. An industry innovator, Lorien operates nine facilities in Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. It also offers two additional services, Lorien at Home and Lorien Kidney Care, as an extension of the local community. The company employs more than 1,549 Marylanders and strives to be the employer of choice while helping to sustain Maryland communities.