Family Care Initiatives: Family and Dependent Care Benefits and Resources
Supported by a concierge service, the Family Care Initiatives program addresses needs related to family and dependent care. Find university-offered benefits, information about child care, and resources helpful to parents and families. For tailored information and guidance on dependent care topics, contact the family care concierge specialists.
Carnegie Mellon University does not endorse any programs or organizations listed on this page.
Preparing for a New Child
- Adoption: Exploring Your Options [pdf] — Helps you assess and prepare before engaging in the adoption process.
- Guide for New and Expecting Parents [pdf] — Outlines some of the primary considerations related to welcoming a child, with special attention to the CMU programs, services and benefits that can help.
- Lactation Support Program — There are several lactation rooms on and off campus for breastfeeding individuals to express milk. These spaces are open to students, staff, faculty and guests.
- Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Reasonable Accommodation Process [pdf] — If your pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition makes it harder for you to perform your job, you can ask for a reasonable accommodation.
- Leave Options:
- Guide to Time Off Options for New Parents [pdf] — Faculty and staff members have leave options to take time away from work to care for children or other family members.
- Faculty Parental Leaves of Absence — Eligible faculty members are entitled to paid parental leave when adding a child to their family.
- Staff Parental and Maternity Leave Program — The university provides paid leave for eligible staff members adding a child to their family.
- Student Maternity Accommodation Protocol and Loans — The university offers two leave options for students who give birth during the course of the semester. Financial assistance is also available through an interest-free loan and stipend continuation.
Child Care
- On-Campus Child Care Options:
- Children's School — Run by CMU's Department of Psychology, the Children's School offers developmentally-appropriate preschool and kindergarten classes, as well as a laboratory for research in child development. Space is limited, so inquire early.
- Cyert Center for Early Education — A full-day child care and education program for children ages 12 weeks through kindergarten available to CMU faculty, staff and graduate students. Full-time benefits-eligible employees may be eligible for a Sliding Scale benefit that reduces the cost of tuition.
- Choosing Child Care:
- Child Care Options to Consider [pdf]
- Choosing High-Quality Child Care [pdf]
- Interim Care Options [pdf]
- Child Care in Pittsburgh: What to Expect [pdf]
- Hiring an Au Pair [pdf]
- Hiring a Nanny [pdf]
- Allegheny County Child Care Finder
- Pennsylvania COMPASS Child Care and Other Early Learning Programs Search
- Pittsburgh Parent Child Care and Preschool Directory
- Financial Assistance:
- Affording Quality Child Care
- Dependent Care Reimbursement Account
- Cyert Center for Early Childhood Education Sliding Scale Benefit
- GSA Child Care Grant — available to full time graduate students
- CMU Pantry — provides students with food resources in addition to stocking such items as diapers and formula
- Concierge Service — Provides CMU faculty, staff and graduate students with information, support, guidance and education on all dependent care related topics.
- Care for Business — Eligible employees and graduate students receive a free premium membership to Care.com, where they can search provider profiles or post jobs. The program also provides access to emergency backup care options at a subsidized rate. Specialists are available to help families looking to hire in-home caregivers. Also includes the LifeMart discount program.
- Forming Care Shares — Use services provided by the university to create a shared child care arrangement.
- Au Pair in America — Provides intercultural child care for your family. Au pairs offer child care that is flexible and dependable, full-service, and an enriching experience for the entire family. Au Pair in America offers a 5% program discount plus no application fee for all CMU faculty and staff; use discount code 402.
School-Aged Children
- Tutoring Resources for Families [pdf]
- Navigating Elementary School Options: Finding a Program That Works for Your Family [pdf] — Detailed information on school options in the Pittsburgh area, including factors to consider when comparing schools, regional school listings, and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program.
- Concierge Service — Provides CMU faculty, staff and graduate students with information, support, guidance and education on all dependent care related topics.
- Care for Business — Eligible employees and graduate students receive a free premium membership to Care.com, where they can search provider profiles or post jobs. The program also provides access to emergency backup care options at a subsidized rate. Specialists are available to help families looking to hire in-home caregivers. Also includes the LifeMart discount program.
- Forming Care Shares — Use services provided by the university to create a shared child care arrangement.
- Pre-College Programs — Rising high school juniors and seniors can apply for CMU's Pre-College programs, which aim to mirror the undergraduate experience at CMU.
- Summer Camps [pdf] — Overview of topics related to summer camps for children.
College
- Tuition Benefits — Benefits-eligible faculty and staff members can receive tuition remission or assistance for themselves and their dependent children. Courses may be taken at CMU or at another institution.
- 529 Plans — A tax-advantaged account that can be used to pay for qualified education costs, including college, K-12 and apprenticeship programs.
Activities and Enrichment
View listings of virtual and in-person activities, enrichment and classes by age group:
Medical
- Preventive Health Care for CMU Benefit Plan Participants — Faculty and staff members who have university-offered health plans qualify for certain preventive care benefits, which may include vaccines, exams and diagnostic tests.
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh — Renowned for its outstanding clinical services, research programs and medical education, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh has helped establish the standards of excellence in pediatric care.
- UPMC Children's Express Care — After-hours urgent care facilities throughout the Pittsburgh area.
- UPMC Magee-Women's Hospital — One of the nation’s top hospitals specializing in women, Magee combines a wealth of specialty services with a traditional focus on gynecologic and obstetric services.
- West Penn Pregnancy, Birth and Newborn Services — Offers care, services and support for pregnancy, labor and delivery, and neonatal care.
- Midwife Center for Birth & Women's Health — A licensed and accredited freestanding birth center. The center's midwives and nurses care for the reproductive health needs of individuals of all ages.
- Allegheny Health Network Urgent Care — Provides urgent care locations that offer care after normal business hours or when doctors' offices are closed.
- MedExpress Urgent Care — Offers in-person urgent care locations in addition to virtual visits.
General Resources
- Pennsylvania's Promise for Children — Tools to help your child learn and grow
- Trying Together — Nonprofit organization that provides advocacy, community resources and professional growth opportunities for the needs and rights of children, their families and the individuals who interact with them
- Fred Rogers Productions: Parent Resources — Topics and advice from The Mister Rogers Parenting Book
- Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative — A group of organizations highlighting the importance of play, engaging in advocacy and hosting events
- Zero to Three — Organization focused on children from birth to age three, with articles and information on a variety of parenting topics
- Kidsburgh — Online community with articles, information, guides and resources for family-friendly events and activities in Pittsburgh
- Pittsburgh Parent — Magazine that covers topics related to family life, parenting, and events for children; with directories on child care programs and summer camps
- Pittsburgh Toy Lending Library — Allows families to borrow toys at no cost and offers an indoor play space and art room
Services and Support for Special Needs
- The Alliance for Infants and Toddlers — Early intervention service coordination for children with developmental concerns.
- The PEAL Center — Resources for families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs.
- Matilda H. Theiss Child Development Center — Through UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, this center offers support for early childhood mental health.
- Allegheny Intermediate Unit — Provides special education and support services to local schools in addition to programming and education for families.
- The Children's Institute — The leader in innovative and integrated health care, education, and social services for children and youth with special health care needs.
- TEIS Early Intervention — Provides early intervention services for children ages 0–3, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, developmental therapy and/or nutrition services.
Elder Care
- Care for Business — Eligible employees and graduate students receive a free premium membership to Care.com, where they can search provider profiles or post jobs. The program also provides access to emergency backup care options at a subsidized rate. Specialists are available to help families looking to hire in-home caregivers. Also includes the LifeMart discount program, which provides discounts on a variety of products and services including child care.
- Concierge Service — Provides CMU faculty, staff and graduate students with information, support, guidance and education on all dependent care related topics.
- Area Agency on Aging — Assists Allegheny County residents 60 years and older to live safe, healthy and, when possible, independent lives. Services include health insurance counseling, protection from abuse and neglect, senior community centers, support for parenting grandparents, transportation, services for older adults who wish to remain in their homes, advocacy for people receiving long term care, and caregiver support.
CMU-Provided Benefits and Resources
Family Care Concierge Service
The Family Care Concierge Service can answer questions and provide resources to help with a variety of dependent care related needs. They can help clarify questions about dependent care related benefits or find resources to help with dependent care issues such as child care, elder care and more.
Care for Business
Eligible employees and graduate students receive a free premium membership to Care.com, where they can search provider profiles or post jobs. The program also provides access to emergency backup care options at a subsidized rate to cover unexpected gaps in care for children and adults. Specialists are available to help families looking to hire in-home caregivers, which can make the process of hiring a caregiver much simpler. The program also includes the LifeMart discount program, which provides discounts on a variety of products and services including child care.
Lactation Support Program
There are several lactation rooms on and off campus for breastfeeding individuals to express milk. These spaces are open to students, staff, faculty and guests. Users may need to request access to the space and are responsible for following the guidelines for lactation room use. The university also provides lactation-related support resources including how to obtain a pump, how to address concerns, and where to go for additional support and guidance.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Carnegie Mellon's EAP can assist you in locating child care, summer camps, and elder care. The EAP also has many helpful resources for parents, from informational articles to interactive tools.
Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (DCRA)
The DCRA allows eligible employees to use pre-tax money to pay for qualifying dependent care expenses. The DCRA can save faculty/staff up to 25% on eligible child care expenses.
Cyert Center Sliding Scale Benefit
The Sliding Scale benefit provides a reduction in the Cyert Center’s tuition rate, taking into account your family income for the prior calendar year. Families must receive an offer of enrollment from the Cyert Center before applying for this benefit.