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Harvard University believes that access to affordable, high-quality child care and eldercare is essential to successful faculty performance. As a major regional employer and as a world-class university, Harvard is committed to investing meaningful resources towards and demonstrating executive leadership in solving the child care challenges of its workforce.
Harvard's Office of Work/Life Resources (in Cambridge) and the Office of Work and Family (in Longwood, at Harvard Medical School) provide information and expert referral to address concerns ranging from workplace stress to caring for a young child or an elderly relative.
The office also maintains a child care website that serves as a one-stop resource for Harvard affiliates looking for information on center-based care, family day care, and in-home providers.
The offices are staffed with work/family specialists, who work in concert with affiliated child care, elder care, and social service providers. If you do not yet have a Harvard I.D., you may contact the Cambridge Office by phoning (617) 495-4100, or you may email the office at worklife@harvard.edu. The Cambridge Office is located in Holyoke Center on the 6th floor in Suite 635.
Harvard's Employee Assistance Program offers faculty and staff access to a wide variety of resources to help with work/life balance, including child and elder care resource and referral. Harvard's EAP will even conduct a personalized summer camp for school-aged children, or provide help navigating the college application process. In the case of acute personal problems, employees can get help 24-hours-a-day, toll free and multilingual, at 1-877-EAP-HARV (1-877-327-4278).
Six on-site, Harvard-affiliated day care centers provide high quality care for hundreds of children each year. Harvard subsidizes the operation of these centers, which are conveniently located on campus. Child care scholarships are awarded annually to faculty and staff based on financial need. These funds are awarded directly to employees and are fully portable, which means they can be used for the child-care solution that works best for each family. Financial assistance is available for in-home emergency child and elder care.
The Harvard Adoption Assistance Plan provides help with expenses directly related to the adoption of a child. The Office of Work/Life Resources also manages a parent-to-parent Adoption Network, which provides peer support. Furthermore, pre-tax flexible spending accounts are provided for qualified dependent care expenses.
For eligible staff, Harvard offers a wide range of parental leaves including paid maternity and paternity leave following childbirth, and paid adoption leave. In addition, up to fifteen days per year of paid sick and personal time can be used to care for ailing children or elders.
Up to date information regarding these work-life benefits is available through the HARVIE website. If you are not already a Harvard faculty member, you will be able to access this website once your appointment is complete and you have a Harvard identification number.