What is child care?
The term child care refers to any service that promotes the well-being of a child, ranging from infants to adolescents. Services such as day care, healthy living, and education are some of the main aspects of childcare. Working parents are often faced with difficult challenges when balancing career and family. As such, child care has emerged as an important issue for both employees and employers.
What related benefits are available to me as a Rutgers University employee?
State Health Benefits Program (SHBP)
Eligible dependent children can be added to an enrolled employees medical, prescription, and dental plan within 30 days of a qualified life event or during the annual Open Enrollment period, determined by the SHBP.
Tax$ave Program
The Unreimbursed Dependent Care Spending Account is a voluntary program that allows full-time employees to set aside pretax dollars for care of eligible dependents, who include children under the age of 13 and children with a qualified disability. More information can be found on the Tax$ave benefit page.
Faculty and Staff Assistance Program
The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program offers a variety of assessment, counseling, and referral services that are available to employees as well as their family members.
Employee Wellness Program
Rutgers employees also have access to the Employee Wellness Program website, which is a gateway to programs, services, and benefits that can help improve overall quality of life not only for employees, but for their children as well.
University and Local Child Care Centers
Various university and local child care and developmental centers are available to Rutgers University employees, some of which offer employee discounts. A comprehensive list of child care and development centers in the New Brunswick and Newark areas can be found online.
Where can I go online for additional childcare related information?
Childcare.gov – Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, childcare.gov offers tools for parents such as assistance locating a child care provider, health and nutrition tips, and child safety guidance.
Childcare Aware – Childcare Aware is a non-profit organization that offers child care-related publications as well as assistance in locating a child care provider.
Kids.gov – Kids.gov is the official kid’s portal for the U.S. government. This site offers comprehensive educational information for both parents and children, and is broken down into various age groups from grades K through 8.
New Jersey Department of Children and Families – The NJDCF encompasses youth and family services, child behavioral health services, community partnerships, abuse/neglect hotline services, and child welfare training.
New Jersey Department of Human Services – The NJDHS offers resources relating to Children’s Services (childcare, education, health and development) and Working Families (government support programs).
United States Department of Health and Human Services – The Administration for Children and Families department of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers a library of information and assistance in all aspects of childcare.