Columbia University
PAE-T2-4: Childcare

Columbia University has agreements with affiliated, independent child care centers. Columbia provides some support to these centers for maintaining their physical environment, quality of care and financial aid. These centers vary in their programming, hours, age range of students and tuition fees. Columbia’s Office of Work/Life also provides a School and Child Care Search Service. This is free counseling and referral service is set up to assist faculty, staff, and students find schooling and child care options in the New York Metropolitan area. The School and Child Care Search Service also holds two fairs per year, open to the Columbia community and the external community. One is a child care fair with dozens of child care centers and other care agencies, that provide care birth to 5 years old, participating, The More Affordable K-8 Private School fair is also for Columbia families and external attendees. A child care benefit is available to some benefits eligible Officer and to graduate students. These employees and students may receive access to funds to use toward early child care expenses. Additionally, Columbia has a Backup Care program provided through Bright Horizons. This program allows eligible faculty, staff, and students to have access to highly subsidized back up child care, as well as adult/elder care. All those eligible for the program are allowed up to 100 hours of subsidized care, provided though either in-home caregivers or child care centers. Child Care Benefit: http://hr.columbia.edu/files_humanresources/imce_shared/FOBIB-2012.pdf Affiliated Child Care Centers: http://worklife.columbia.edu/affiliated-child-care-centers Child Care and School Options: http://worklife.columbia.edu/child-care-and-school-options Backup Care: http://worklife.columbia.edu/backup-care