Children, Dependents, and Childcare
At the U-M, we recognize that affordable, quality childcare is a must for working parents. We are proud to offer five different childcare centers, as well as sick-child services. The U-M also: offers leaves of absence for childcare; excludes time from the tenure clock for dependent care; and adheres to the Family Medical Leave Act.
The numbers in parentheses provide direct links to the applicable PDF files in the Standard Practice Guide (SPG).
PLEASE NOTE: theses PDF files will open with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The University supports leaves of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act (please see the HRAA web page for more details), which are available to all faculty and staff members. When you meet the eligibility criteria, you are entitled to receive University contributions toward medical and dental premiums for up to 12 weeks in a 12-month period. If you have questions or need further details, please visit the Work/Life Resource Center web page.
Leaves of Absence Without Salary
for Childcare
If you or your spouse or partner has given birth to or adopted a child under the age of six, you may request a leave of absence without salary for childcare. You may also request such leaves for other purposes (e.g., educational, government or public service and outside teaching, research, and scholarly activity). (SPG 201.30-1 PDF)
Excluding Time from the Tenure Clock Due to Dependent Care
As a faculty member who must help meet the demands of caring for dependents (e.g., children, ill or injured partners, or aging parents), you may ask for your tenure review to be postponed by a year. (SPG 201.92 PDF)
Childcare Centers
The University operates five University childcare centers:
- U-M Pound House Children’s Center
- U-M Children’s Center
- U-M Children’s Center for Working Families
- U-M Health System Child Care Center
- U-M Northwood Community Child Development Center
Kids Kare at Home
If you have sick children or need back-up emergency childcare (e.g., your regular child care is not available), you can contact a qualified child care provider through the Kids Kare at Home program, which is operated by the U-M’s Work/Life Resource Center. After calling, an assigned, trained caregiver will come to your home within 3-4 hours.
For more information, please see the Kids Kare website.