Graduate Assistant Childcare Reimbursement
Childcare Reimbursement Policies and Procedures, per Article 23 of our Collective Bargaining Agreement, the University annually allots $225,000 to reimburse GAs for childcare expenses at licensed childcare facility or bona fide institutional after school programs.
Applications for childcare reimbursement open three times a year, in the Fall, Spring, and Summer. Applications must be sent in during periods of open enrollment. Emails and notifications through soapbox about when applications are open each semester are sent to all graduate student employees.
Information Needed When Applying for Childcare Reimbursement
You will be required to provide your employee ID number and proof of employment in the form of a GA offer letter. Please note that we also require itemized receipts that show the cost of childcare for the period covered by the applications. All itemized receipts should be combined into one file. Please see "Frequently Asked Questions" below for more information regarding eligibility.
If you have any questions about application materials, don't hesitate to email us.
Applications for childcare reimbursement open three times a year, in the Fall, Spring, and Summer. Applications must be sent in during periods of open enrollment. Emails and notifications through soapbox about when applications are open each semester are sent to all graduate student employees.
Information Needed When Applying for Childcare Reimbursement
You will be required to provide your employee ID number and proof of employment in the form of a GA offer letter. Please note that we also require itemized receipts that show the cost of childcare for the period covered by the applications. All itemized receipts should be combined into one file. Please see "Frequently Asked Questions" below for more information regarding eligibility.
If you have any questions about application materials, don't hesitate to email us.
Postdoc Childcare Reimbursement
Per a side letter agreed upon in our new Postdoc Collective Bargaining Agreement, the University annually allots $10,000 to reimburse Postdocs for childcare expenses at licensed childcare facilities or bonafide institutional after school programs.
Information Needed When Applying for Childcare Reimbursement
You will be required to provide your employee ID number and proof of employment in the form of your Postdoc contract. Please note that we also require itemized receipts that show the cost of childcare for the period covered by the applications. All itemized receipts should be combined into one file. Please see "Frequently Asked Questions" below for more information regarding eligibility.
NO LATE SUBMISSIONS OR OTHER VERSIONS OF SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED, so please be sure to mark your calendars and have the necessary documentation accessible before the deadline.
If you have any questions about application materials, don't hesitate to email us.
Information Needed When Applying for Childcare Reimbursement
You will be required to provide your employee ID number and proof of employment in the form of your Postdoc contract. Please note that we also require itemized receipts that show the cost of childcare for the period covered by the applications. All itemized receipts should be combined into one file. Please see "Frequently Asked Questions" below for more information regarding eligibility.
NO LATE SUBMISSIONS OR OTHER VERSIONS OF SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED, so please be sure to mark your calendars and have the necessary documentation accessible before the deadline.
If you have any questions about application materials, don't hesitate to email us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do i need to provide itemized receipts?
Reimbursement amounts are established for the period in which the child care services were actually provided; therefore, itemized receipts help us determine the amount spent on child care during the period covered by the application. We understand that some Graduate Assistants and Postdocs pay for a full year of child care upfront; however, these receipts might not help us determine the amount that was paid (or the cost) for the period covered by the application. We are aware that some facilities do not provide automatic itemized receipts via their customer portals, but in the past, we've found that reaching out to those facilities and asking for a letter confirming the cost of child care over a certain period has been helpful.
If you are having trouble getting an itemized receipt, please reach out to us @ [email protected]. We've worked with several of our members in the past to determine the correct receipt format.
If you are having trouble getting an itemized receipt, please reach out to us @ [email protected]. We've worked with several of our members in the past to determine the correct receipt format.
What if the person listed on the receipts is not the GA or Postdoc?
Please make it clear on your application who the UConn GA or Postdoc is and the relationship the person on the receipts is to the GA or Postdoc. We may ask for documentation of stated relationship to the person listed on the receipt.
What ages are covered for reimbursement?
Children through age 5 are eligible for daycare reimbursements. Children below the age of 13 are also eligible for after school care. See below for more details on both:
- Children ages 0-5: At what ages are child dependents eligible for child care/day care reimbursements? Children ages 0-5 are eligible for day care reimbursements at a licensed child care facility. Once a child is of legal age required to attend schooling, they are no longer eligible for daycare. We do NOT reimburse tuition associated with private school for children older than 5. This decision was made in accordance with the General Statutes of Connecticut Title 10-184, et seq.: School Attendance Age Requirements.
- Children ages 6-12: What about after school care? We recognize that not all GA’s work schedules are the typical 9am-5pm. That said, parents should make an effort to identify after school care programs for children under the age of 13 that meet their needs without posing excessive financial burdens. Our reimbursement program may accept after school care for children who are participating in programs that primarily provide childcare or educational benefit, i.e. homework help; see below for co-curricular activities.
What is a bona fide institutional after school program?
A bona fide institutional after-school program is sponsored by a legitimate organization, including, but not limited to, a school, a community center, church, or non-profit organization, that offers after school programs with the intent to fulfill a mission or purpose, e.g. homework help, mentorship, and youth skills development.
Do you reimburse GAs and Postdocs for co-curricular activities?
No. We do not cover expenses for families who elect to enroll their child in activities including, but not limited to, sports club, performance arts, or extra-curricular programs whose primary focus is not to provide child care or educational services
Do you reimburse expenses related to summer camps?
During the summer months (June-August), day camps for children under the age of 13 that operate between typical business hours Monday-Friday may be eligible for reimbursement. However, we do not reimburse expenses for overnight camps, tuition for summer school, or lodging and board to destination camps. The intent of the reimbursement is to help GAs and Postdocs with the burdensome expenses of regular childcare.
Are payments made to a childcare facility outside of the United States qualified for childcare reimbursement
Yes, HOWEVER, you must provide documented proof that the childcare facility is a bona fide (licensed) institution in that particular country. Documentation must provide proof that it is currently licensed. Examples of documentation could include images/copies of the facility’s childcare license(s) from the issuing entity, receipts of payment with the business’ name, a link to the facility’s secure website, or other miscellaneous pieces of information.
Note: A combination of documents may be requested, but we do so acting in good faith to establish that the institution is a bona fide childcare provider in the same manner that we do with domestic institutions.
Note: A combination of documents may be requested, but we do so acting in good faith to establish that the institution is a bona fide childcare provider in the same manner that we do with domestic institutions.
Will all of my childcare expenses be reimbursed? How are reimbursements calculated?
Note: The below explanation is only for GAs as Postdoc childcare has different cycle periods and allotment amounts. More information about how reimbursements are calculated will be uploaded soon.
We cannot guarantee full reimbursement for your childcare expenses. Reimbursements are calculated based on the number of GAs/eligible children that apply each cycle. First we establish per cycle amounts given the total amount UConn provides for the academic year. For Spring 2023, we have allotted $90,000. Once applications are in, we track the number of children and total amounts requested for reimbursement. We also verify eligible expenses (see the following FAQs to understand what qualifies). From there we calculate a "per kid rate" (PKR [total cycle amount to allocate/total number of children]). Applicants who spend at or below the per kid rate for one child will receive either the PKR or the amount they requested for reimbursement if less than the PKR. Applicants who have more than one child eligible for reimbursement get up to that PKR amount per child. For example if the PKR is $300 and I have 2 kids and spent more than $600 for child care, I would receive $600. If I have 2 kids and requested $500 in reimbursement, I would get $500. The PKR for Spring 2019 was about $915. It's important to note that this number can be higher or lower for future cycles, depending on the number of applicants.
We cannot guarantee full reimbursement for your childcare expenses. Reimbursements are calculated based on the number of GAs/eligible children that apply each cycle. First we establish per cycle amounts given the total amount UConn provides for the academic year. For Spring 2023, we have allotted $90,000. Once applications are in, we track the number of children and total amounts requested for reimbursement. We also verify eligible expenses (see the following FAQs to understand what qualifies). From there we calculate a "per kid rate" (PKR [total cycle amount to allocate/total number of children]). Applicants who spend at or below the per kid rate for one child will receive either the PKR or the amount they requested for reimbursement if less than the PKR. Applicants who have more than one child eligible for reimbursement get up to that PKR amount per child. For example if the PKR is $300 and I have 2 kids and spent more than $600 for child care, I would receive $600. If I have 2 kids and requested $500 in reimbursement, I would get $500. The PKR for Spring 2019 was about $915. It's important to note that this number can be higher or lower for future cycles, depending on the number of applicants.
How will I receive the reimbursement?
Your reimbursement will come from the payroll office. Since this is a payroll reimbursement, taxes will be taken out of the amount reimbursed. Since the union is not directly handling the reimbursement we cannot accept applications after the deadline.
Note For Postdocs: If you are no longer a Postdoc at UConn at the time of reimbursement, payroll will either mail you the check (we will ask you your address, or you can provide it to us in the notes section of the application) or, in some instances, the reimbursement can be directly deposited into the the account on record while you were at UConn.
Note For Postdocs: If you are no longer a Postdoc at UConn at the time of reimbursement, payroll will either mail you the check (we will ask you your address, or you can provide it to us in the notes section of the application) or, in some instances, the reimbursement can be directly deposited into the the account on record while you were at UConn.
Still have questions? Email us!
