For working professionals, caring for young children or elderly parents can feel overwhelming at times. Having backup care for emergencies or planned gaps in care can be vital for peace of mind. Yale University offers back-up care through Bright Horizons to all benefit-eligible employees.
Sherry Agabiti, an associate research scientist in the Department of Genetics, gave birth to her first child this past winter. As she was preparing to go back to work in April, the care she had lined up for her son at a local day care center unexpectedly fell through.
Thanks to one of Yale’s Signature Benefits, Sherry was able to utilize the Bright Horizons Back-Up Care benefit. “The Yale back-up care program came to our rescue,” she said. “I was able to bridge some of the time for the new center, and I used two weeks of backup care at Bright Horizons at West Campus,” said Sherry.
Having access to the back-up care made a difficult situation manageable for Sherry and her family. “Not having care for your child is very stressful, and having that benefit alleviated my worry,” she said. “I felt comfortable dropping my son off at Bright Horizons. I could tell he really loved it there. He would be smiling when I picked him up.”
Bright Horizons Back-Up Care
Faculty, managerial and professional staff, postdoctoral associates, postdoctoral fellows, clerical & technical, and service & maintenance have access to 10 days of subsidized back-up care per calendar year for children, adults, elders, and themselves. It can also be used to find care for a parent or adult loved one who needs care in their home anywhere throughout the U.S. The 10 days can be used anytime during the calendar year and cannot be carried over from previous years.
The program is managed by Bright Horizons Back-Up Care™, and employees can register online, by phone, or via a mobile app. The cost is $6 per hour for in-home care for up to ten hours, and $25-$30 per day at a Bright Horizons child care center or other network center location, depending on availability.
