Child Care Financial Assistance Options
While the Office of Child Care and Family Resources mission is to support parenting students, below are several campus and community resources available for faculty and staff (research associates, postdoctoral fellows and postdoctoral trainees are considered staff but may not be eligible for some resources below).
University Staff Child Care Grant
This is a one-time grant for University (formerly Classified) staff. Priority is given to lower income employees with infants (0-2 years-old) and to families dealing with an unexpected life event that affects the family's ability to cover child care.
UW's KidsKare Program
The KidsKare program makes backup care affordable for UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff by offering reduced rate ($5/hour) backup/hourly child care at Little Chicks Academy Child Care Center. Faculty and staff can receive 50 hours per academic year.
Dependent Care FSA
Most faculty and staff are eligible to sign up for a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account to use money taken pre-tax from monthly income to pay for dependent care. Sign up for this benefit during Open Enrollment or by contacting the Human Resources Department.
State/County Child Care Funding
There are several child care financial assistance programs available through the city of Madison and the State of Wisconsin. Visit this page to learn more about these non-UW financial assistance options for child care.
Employee Assistance Office (EAO)
EAO professional staff offer counseling and consultation at no cost to UW–Madison faculty, staff, graduate student employees, significant others, and family members.
Family & Medical Leave
Learn about your rights to take job-protected leave with continued medical benefits when you need time off from work to care for yourself or a family member who is seriously ill, to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, or to attend to the affairs of a family member who is called to active duty in the military.