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Becoming a Parent
Adding a new member to your family through birth or adoption is an exciting and busy time. There are so many things to think about, from changing your health coverage to planning for childcare. This list of information and resources can help you through this experience.
Changing Your Benefits
Having a new child through birth or adoption is a qualifying life event that provides you a window to change your benefit selections without waiting for Open Enrollment. You have up to 31 days after your new child arrives to update your health plan, dental plan, and other core benefits.
Parental Leaves of Absence
As a new or expecting parent, you can take time off from work to care for your child. Learn about leave available for new parents and how to request a parental leave of absence using the following resources:
- Employee Policies and Procedures: Taking a Leave
- Training: What To Do If You Need to Take a Leave of Absence
- Training: What To Do When You Are Returning from a Leave of Absence
- Training: Leave of Absence for Supervisors
- Faculty: Refer to the handbook of their primary school affiliation for guidance.
Childcare Resources
Bright Horizons and Care.com
Tufts contracts with Bright Horizons to offer faculty and staff priority access for infants, toddlers, and preschool children. Tufts has contracted with Care.com to help you find reliable care providers for your child—or any member of your family. Care.com also provide last-minute backup care.
Eliot-Pearson Children's School
The Eliot-Pearson Children's School is a laboratory-demonstration school affiliated with the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University. The Children's School is located on the Tufts University Medford/Somerville campus. It enrolls about 80 children from preschool to second grade.
Finding Childcare
Tufts offers guidance on finding different types of childcare for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarten-age children.
Summer Programs for School-Age Children
Many Tufts-affiliated programs offer camps and other summer programs for school-aged children.
Returning to Work
When you return to work after a child joins your family through birth, adoption, or fostering, Tufts has several supports to help you manage and maintain work/life balance and health.
Alternative Work Arrangements and Telecommuting
You may be interested in discussing alternative work arrangements, such as telecommuting, a compressed workweek, or other options with your supervisor.
Lactation Support and Resources
Tufts has a number of resources for nursing parents, including lactation rooms on each campus, guidelines on shipping breastmilk during work-related travel, and links to resources on breastfeeding.
Resources for Parents
Community Parenting Resources
Human Resources maintains a list of community resources for parents.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Sometimes parents need extra help - whether it’s coping with stress, balancing home life with work, or childcare issues. Our EAP offers help finding childcare and provides counseling for any emotional, financial, or work-related problems that come up.
Health and Wellness Programs
Human Resources offers a variety of benefits that support a healthy lifestyle for your family and you.
Parent Employee Resource Collaborative (PERC)
PERC provides support around a variety of issues including, but not limited to:
- Parenting skills
- Work-life balance
- Finding quality care and schools
- Navigating school
- Care after school, during school breaks, and in the summer
- Understanding children's development
- Children and families who identify as LGBTQ+
- Children with special needs
- Nutrition, allergies, and other health-related topics
- Events
- Social media use
- Safety
Join the email list and view the website.
Dependent Care Concierge Service and Seminars
For individual support around dependent care needs such as childcare, dependent adult care or elder care, or to suggest a topic or view current list of dependent care seminars, contact:
June Goldstein, Benefits Specialist
Provided by Human Resources