Resources Tagged: Families

Effective July 1, 2019, School of Science tenure-track faculty members are eligible to receive up to $7,500 in reimbursements for child care expenses per year per child.  The department provides the funds for the first child and the school provides the funds for their siblings. The childcare reimbursement policy applies to pre-kindergarten children and will be provided on an annual basis.  Please note that this benefit supplements and does not replace the standing Dependent Care Policies. FAQ This benefit is effective as of July 1, 2019. For faculty with pre-existing agreements regarding childcare support, either this benefit or the previously negotiated benefit may be chosen (whichever is greater). Departments fund the costs associated with the first child.  The School funds any additional children covered under the program.  For the Dean’s contribution, please use cost object 1526523.  Please include the names and dates of birth for children who are being covered under the program. This reimbursement can apply to all pre-k children, annually with the funding period to coincide with the academic year. For any questions, please contact Heather Williams, 617-253-8904. Please see the School’s website for additional information on faculty family benefits: https://science.mit.edu/resource/faculty-family-benefits-support/

The MIT School of Science and the Institute offer a range of direct services and resources to promote the health and well-being of MIT faculty members and their families. MIT Work-Life Center: Faculty Resources The MIT Work-Life Center offers a range of direct services and resources to promote the health and well-being of MIT community members and their families, including guidance on adult and senior care, child care services and schools.  The Work-Life Center provides access to MyLife Services, free round-the-clock access to a network of experts who are available to help with life concerns. Family Leaves Faculty Parental Teaching Relief Faculty members, regardless of gender, will be released from teaching administrative duties for one semester at full pay if they wish to spend the majority of their academic time caring for a newborn or newly placed child.  Faculty members on leave will be released from teaching and administrative duties for one semester, but will continue to be expected to fulfill their thesis-advising responsibilities and sustain their research program.  Institute rules on outside professional activities for full-time faculty will remain in force for those on such release. Also, it is expected that, normally, they will not increase their usual outside professional activities or travel away from Cambridge.  Faculty members may take advantage of teaching relief for any term they choose within one year after the arrival of a child.  Maternity and Personal Leaves of Absence Birth mothers are entitled to eight weeks of paid medical leave immediately following the birth of the child, and may also be eligible to take four weeks of paid parental leave to extend this leave to twelve weeks.  When this occurs during an academic semester, the faculty member may receive the semester off from teaching.  All other new parents can take additional leave for newborn or newly placed child care or care for family members with serious health conditions in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act. Tenure Clock Extension for Childbearing and Child Rearing Any faculty member who bears a child during the tenure probationary period will automatically receive a tenure clock extension of one year. Requests for tenure clock extensions for any additional children or extensions for partners and adoptive parents may be submitted to the Provost for approval.  Please cc: your department head and the dean when you write to the Provost. Part-Time Appointments with Tenure for Family Care Any tenured faculty member who needs time for family care may request a reduced-time and reduced-pay appointment for one or more semesters up to five years from the Dean of the School of Science. If you have any questions about the family leave policies, please contact Assistant Dean Heather Williams. Family Care Technology Childcare Centers and Faculty Priority MIT hosts five Technology Childcare Centers, four on the main campus and one at the Lincoln Laboratory, managed by Bright Horizons Family Solutions. Although spaces are in high demand, all tenured and tenure-track faculty members receive enrollment priority for infants ages eight weeks through 14 months. Dependent Care for Faculty Travel Institute policy provides for reimbursement associated with travel on MIT business above those normally incurred by the faculty member while at MIT. Faculty are eligible to be reimbursed up to $5,000 in direct expenses, plus an allocation to cover the tax due on the expenses, per year in reasonable childcare or dependent care expenses. Expenses over $5,000 The Dean of Science may approve a reimbursement for expenses paid by a faculty member or a department that are larger than $5,000 and/or additional reimbursements beyond the $5,000 outlined in the policy. Such reimbursements will be additional compensation. The supplement will not be subject to employee benefits and no incremental benefits will be paid (that is, it is not counted in the pension calculation). It cannot be charged to federal research projects unless the PI has explicit permission from the donor/sponsor, to any external funds. The reimbursement/supplement is not subject to research F&A nor fund overhead. Spousal Travel In general, the Institute does not reimburse travel expenses for spouses of faculty members, unless that spouse is also traveling on MIT business. Occasional exceptions are made when the health or well-being of the faculty member, spouse, or child depends on traveling together and there is no reasonable alternative. In such instances, reimbursements must be approved by the provost before travel arrangements are made. How to request Reimbursements Requests should be made using the supplemental faculty travel form that includes the date and purpose of the trip and an itemization of the costs incurred in the comment section of the form. Supporting documents should be attached to the form. For junior (untenured) faculty, the Dean of Science will provide for the cost of up to $5,000 per year, to be charged to cost object 1526510, G/L 400809. Senior faculty should use discretionary funds for dependent care expenses (plus an allocation towards the tax due on the expenses) associated with travel on MIT business. Senior faculty without discretionary funds will be reimbursed by the department under the same conditions as the program for junior faculty. Reimbursements for senior (tenured) faculty and for those in excess of $5,000 per year for junior (untenured) faculty need to be provided either through faculty discretionary funds or departmental funds. Requests should include an account number that can be charged. Requests are normally processed by a department administrator and should be forwarded to Heather Williams, 6-131. Questions about any of these policies or procedures should be directed to Heather Williams, 617-253-8904. Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account Eligible MIT employees can set aside up to $5,000 pre-tax salary in a flex account to spend on day care, preschool, day camps, and after school care. Backup Adult and Senior Care Eligible MIT employees can sign up for Care.com BackupCare to arrange for day or night in-home care for children or another family member who needs assistance. Employees are responsible for the hourly cost of screened and trained caretakers. Child Care Reimbursement Faculty may request reimbursement up to $7,500 per child per year, with the firstborn child supported by the faculty’s department and subsequent children supported by the School of Science. On-Campus Lactation Rooms MIT has several dedicated lactation rooms around campus intended for the use of the MIT community, and the School of Science and its departments sponsor several more for their own communities. All rooms have at minimum locking doors, good lighting and ventilation, electrical outlets, a comfortable chair, waste baskets and cleaners, and a nearby refrigerator and sink. Tuition Support for Children Dependent children of eligible MIT employees who are admitted to and enroll at MIT will have their full tuition covered. MIT also offers low-interest loans to eligible MIT employees to help with the cost of an undergraduate or graduate college education for dependent children.  

MIT School of Science and the Institute offer a range of direct services and resources to promote the health and well-being of MIT faculty members and their families. Office of Graduate Education: Resources for Families The MIT Office of Graduate Education maintains a list of resources for graduate student families that includes student health plans and services, on- and off-campus housing, relocation information, child and adult care, support groups for parents and families, and committees and groups dedicated to improving family life at MIT. MIT Work-Life Center The MIT Work-Life Center offers a range of direct services and resources to promote the health and well-being of MIT community members and their families, including guidance on adult and senior care, child care services and schools.  Admitted MIT graduate students can call the MIT Graduate Assistance and Information Network (1-844-MIT-GAIN) free of charge. Consultants can provide information about off-campus childcare and Boston/Cambridge area schools, elder/adult care, schools, legal/financial concerns, relocation and daily living. Childbirth Accommodation A student anticipating childbirth is eligible for up to three months of maternity leave, or childbirth accommodation. Graduate students on childbirth accommodation will continue to receive full stipends and will retain access to on-campus medical facilities and eligibility for hospitalization benefits, as long as tuition and fees have been paid for that term.  Please note that the third month of leave is funded by the School of Science. Students should initiate conversations with advisors and department administrators about five months before they expect to take leave. Plans should be made for TA assignments, time-sensitive research or reports, and any other issues of importance, such as field work, doctoral qualifying examinations, publication deadlines, etc. Childbirth accommodation will stop the academic and research clocks with respect to assignments, reports, or other class or research-related requirements, including TA duties. Graduate students who require childbirth accommodation must file a petition with the Office of the Dean for Graduate education for approval. All eligible students will be approved.   Family Care Technology Childcare Centers MIT hosts five Technology Childcare Centers, four on the main campus and one at the Lincoln Laboratory, managed by Bright Horizons Family Solutions.  Full-time and part-time infant, toddler, and preschool care are available, with a limited number of slots for graduate student families. Backup Adult and Senior Care Backup care provided by Care.com at a subsidized hourly rate in your home or at a licensed childcare center near your home or work. Screened and trained caregivers are available on short notice to provide childcare, day or evening, 7 days a week. MIT students can request up to 10 childcare referrals per academic year. On-Campus Lactation Rooms MIT has several dedicated lactation rooms around campus intended for the use of the MIT community, and the School of Science and its departments sponsor several more for their own communities. All rooms have at minimum locking doors, good lighting and ventilation, electrical outlets, a comfortable chair, waste baskets and cleaners, and a nearby refrigerator and sink.

MIT School of Science and the Institute offer a range of direct services and resources to promote the health and well-being of MIT postdocs and their families. MIT Work-Life Center The MIT Work-Life Center offers a range of direct services and resources to promote the health and well-being of MIT community members and their families, including guidance on adult and senior care, child care services and schools.  The Work-Life Center provides access to MyLife Services, free round-the-clock access to a network of experts who are available to help with life concerns. Family Leaves Maternity Leave MIT grants eight weeks of sick leave to birth mothers at 100% regular pay, and are entitled to an additional four weeks of unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Some birth mothers take all or part of the four-week period as vacation and may also qualify for additional five days of paid parental leave. Parental Leave MIT will provide up to five days of paid parental leave to eligible mothers and fathers within four months after the birth of a child, adoption of a child, or placement of a foster child. This applies to postdoctoral associates working at least 50% time and who have been employed by MIT for a least one year. Family Care Technology Childcare Centers MIT hosts five Technology Childcare Centers, four on the main campus and one at the Lincoln Laboratory, managed by Bright Horizons Family Solutions.  Full-time and part-time infant, toddler, and preschool care are available, with a limited number of slots for graduate student families. Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account Eligible MIT employees can set aside up to $5,000 pre-tax salary in a flex account to spend on day care, preschool, day camps, and after school care. Backup Child Care and Adult Care Referral Program Eligible MIT employees can sign up for Care.com BackupCare to arrange for day or night in-home care for children or another family member who needs assistance. Employees are responsible for the hourly cost of screened and trained caretakers. On-Campus Lactation Rooms MIT has several dedicated lactation rooms around campus intended for the use of the MIT community, and the School of Science and its departments sponsor several more for their own communities. All rooms have at minimum locking doors, good lighting and ventilation, electrical outlets, a comfortable chair, waste baskets and cleaners, and a nearby refrigerator and sink.