Raising children and pursuing a degree or training program at Hopkins can be both rewarding and challenging endeavors. If you are doing both at the same time, we recognize the additional pressures you are facing.
In this post, we summarize the key benefits you should know about and where to go for more information and support if you need it.
If you are interested in connecting informally with other learners who are also parents, please fill out this form to join the JHU Learner-Parent Support Network. (Learners is a collective term for both students and trainees. Trainees are individuals, like postdocs or medical residents, who are not currently enrolled in a degree program and are therefore not students.)
This group will connect on Microsoft Teams to form a community supportive of the well-being of JHU learners who are also parents, share parenting tips and information. The group will be moderated by Student Health and Well-Being staff.
We have also recorded information session about caregiving benefits geared specifically for students and trainees. You can download it by clicking on this text or on the image below.
We’ve also provided written overviews of some of the major topics covered in the recorded presentation in this blog post. If you have questions about the content of the presentation, please email [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].
Parental Leave
Open to eligible full-time graduate students and postdoctoral trainees
Eligible full-time graduate students and postdoctoral trainees shall receive no less than 8 weeks of fully paid new child accommodations. Full details about this policy, as well as contacts in each academic division, are available in this document.
To be eligible, you must be a full-time graduate student who is admitted to a graduate program, and engaged in a full-time program of courses, credits, seminars and/or research as approved by the Chair of the department/program or designated faculty member.
Child Care Vouchers
Open to eligible full-time doctoral or medical students, postdoctoral fellows, or residents/house staff
The childcare voucher program awards tax-free funds to help you pay for care for your children under the age of six (6), who are not yet in kindergarten. Awards are based on your family’s income and may be used for any paid care that enables you to work or study, including licensed childcare centers and in-home care.
You may qualify for childcare vouchers of up to $5,000 tax-free per year, with eligibility and maximum benefits determined by the family’s adjusted gross income, up to $116,000. Vouchers are awarded per family, and if you have a spouse, they must be enrolled in school or working to qualify. Enrollment for 2023 funding for students and trainees is Nov 1-30, 2022. New students and those who have had qualifying life events can apply within 30 days of their event date to receive a pro-rated award. Read more about vouchers on the HR website.
Child care scholarships are also available to qualifying families with children enrolled at one of the three JHU Center Partners that offer priority admission to Hopkins families.
ADDITIONAL CAREGIVING RESOURCES OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS AND TRAINEES
This is a partial list of available programs; more details are available on the JHU Family and Caregiving Programs site.
- The Lactation Support Program includes information on how to register to use a lactation room on Johns Hopkins campuses.
- The Maryland Family Network offers personalized childcare resources and referrals for families seeking center-based childcare in Maryland through their LOCATE service. To request resource and referral service in Maryland, complete and submit the LOCATE: Child Care Registration Form, call 1-800-999-0120, or email [email protected].
- Komae is a cooperative childcare app that provides a flexible childcare management option. In Greek, komae means village. The platform allows you to join with trusted friends and family in a “Sitter Village” and schedule care. Rather than texting around or feeling guilty about asking for a favor, you can ask your entire village at once through Komae. Identify and vet families with similar parenting styles and COVID-19 protocol practice to build their pod for shared childcare and education.
ADDITIONAL CAREGIVING RESOURCES OPEN TO FULL-TIME DOCTORAL AND MEDICAL STUDENTS, POSTDOCTORAL TRAINEES, FELLOWS, AND RESIDENTS/HOUSE STAFF
More details are available on the JHU Family and Caregiving Programs site.
- Free Premium Membership to Care.com allows families to post jobs, perform detailed searches for caregivers, and access to the safety center for best practices on hiring safely. Expert Assistance is also available for you to receive one-on-one support in your care search. Care specialists will conduct an assessment based on the kind of care you need, help find caregivers that match your requirements, and present options to you, saving you valuable time.
- Subsidized Backup Care by Care@Work provides up to 10 days of back-up care per calendar year at a reduced rate that is based on your salary. Care.com pre-screens qualified caregivers to help you find in-home backup emergency care for children and adults, or in-center backup care for children. Use backup care when your regular care arrangement is unavailable, and you still need to work or attend classes. Register using your JHED ID, without @jh.edu, at johnshopkins.care.com.
Please note that your eligibility for the benefits listed above depends on your student/trainee status and in some cases, your income level. To confirm eligibility according to your student status, reach out to student affairs or academic affairs contacts in your academic division, such as the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs for Homewood learners. To learn more about Family and Caregiving benefits, visit the JHU Family and Caregiving Programs website, or contact the JHU Benefits Service Center at 410-516-2000 or [email protected].