Child Care

University of Washington Child Care / Parenting Resources

• UW HR Backup Care Resources
• UW HR Child Care Options and Resources
• UW Off-Site and In-Home Child Care Options:  Includes free membership to Sittercity, discounted tuition for child care centers, discounted academic support, tutoring, test prep and homework help services, and discounted local nanny placement.
• Elder care resources, planning, and senior housing search tools
• Washington Employee Assistance Program (WA EAP): Consultants will ask questions about your family’s situation and send you a customized packet of programs that have space available and align with your needs. All calls to WA EAP are confidential.

Camps, after-school classes, enrichment programs and more

• UW Youth Program Directory: Programs for children and youth of all ages, all offered by UW departments.
• UW Youth and Teen Programs: Formerly called Summer Youth, this UW program offers year-round opportunities for students in grades 4-12.

UW SOM & GME Child Care / Parenting Resources

• Child Care Aware: The call referral center is open Monday through Friday between 8:30 – 4:30 pm and can connect your family directly to vacant child care slots in the community.  Call 1-800-446-1114 and be sure to tell the operator you work at a UW Medical Center.
• Join the parenting@uw listserv to receive information about child care resources.
• We know that many folks will connect organically to form partnerships in sharing child care. Komae is one option to support those seeking cooperative care opportunities across our UW community.
• The idea of sharing child care with other families may feel a bit nerve wracking during a pandemic. Thankfully, a team of parents working in public health, including UW experts, have created this guide to forming pandemic pods for families to help you consider care sharing as an option.
• The National Institute of Health (NIH) Childcare Allowance: The NIH now provides eligible NRSA and Institutional Training Grant trainees (such as postdoctoral trainees appointed on T32 awards) an NIH Childcare Allowance. This allowance is up to $2,500 per year, per trainee and goes towards assisting with child care costs.  To see if you qualify, please contact your grant administrator.

Seattle / King County Child Care / Parenting Resources

• Seattle Parks and Recreation: In person learning support for elementary-age kids
• Seattle Preschool Program
• Boys & Girls Clubs of King County
• Y Leap Academy – YMCA of Greater Seattle: In person support for elementary school kids and families as they navigate hybrid or virtual learning models.
• Department of Health Child Care Resources & Recommendations

In-school and center-based care

• Right at School:  Offers eligible UW employees and UW students a 20% tuition through Bright Horizons. Right at School provides before-and-after-school programs in elementary and middle schools across the country and operate in 12 Western Washington school districts.
• KinderCare:  Offers school-aged care in many of their centers – please see the KinderCare website for information about what is available near you. KinderCare Champions before-and-after school program operates in the Central Kitsap, Federal Way, Kent, Northshore, and Tacoma school districts. UW employees and students receive a 10% tuition discount on all KinderCare services and priority enrollment at Champions programs and select centers in the Seattle area.

Camps, after-school classes, enrichment programs and more

• Elevate Washington: A statewide database of thousands of programs offering safe spaces for young people outside of their school day.

In-home care

• Sittercity is available to UW caregivers through Bright Horizons. You can use Sittercity to post jobs and take advantage of unlimited free basic background checks.
• The College of Education Job Board posts job opportunities that allow COE students and alumni to gain experience and funding that will further their education career. Parents have used the board to post nanny and tutoring opportunities.
• Discount nanny services are available through The Whole U discount partners, who can help you find nannies and arrange cost-saving nanny shares (NetID required). Through Bright Horizons, you can access discounted nanny placement services through College Nannies. Visit Bright Horizons’ UW page, click on “get discounted nanny placement” and create a College Nannies account to get started.

Child Care Access Issues

• Residents/Fellows who must miss work because their child’s school or daycare has closed are eligible to use sick leave.
• In addition to sick time off, staff may also use other types of time off for family care emergency absences when regularly scheduled care plans are interrupted due to a school, camp, facility closure and/or the unexpected absence of a care provider.
• The GME Office continues to work with UWSOM to identify expanded childcare resources.