We offer a robust network of resources that help MIT families access quality child care and summer camps.
Finding child care
- MIT MyLife Services (for benefits-eligible staff, faculty, postdoc associates, and postdoc fellows) and MIT GAIN (for MIT graduate students) offer a wealth of information on child care and summer camps—including types, costs, scholarships and financial aid, and more. In addition, their work-life representatives can conduct a customized search for you based on your preferred schedule, location, budget, and any other criteria you may have.
- Find It Cambridge is an online resource, managed by the City of Cambridge, that helps you find child care and other early childhood and school-age programs, services, and events in Cambridge.
- The Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP), administered by the Cambridge Office of Early Childhood (OEC), provides access to high-quality early education and care for all Cambridge 4-year-olds and some 3-year-olds.
MIT Technology Childcare Centers (TCC)
Work-Life partners with Bright Horizons to manage four onsite MIT Technology Childcare Centers (TCC) that accommodate infants, toddlers, and preschool children. All centers are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
TCC scholarships are available to income-eligible MIT staff, faculty, postdoc associates, and postdoc fellows who have a child or children enrolled in TCC and meet the scholarship program’s criteria.
Choosing Quality Child Care sessions
These interactive discussions, led by Work-Life, are open to the entire MIT community and are specially designed for expectant parents and those new to parenting or child care (ages 0-3). The sessions address different infant and toddler child care options, the costs of child care, how to find and evaluate your child care choices, and the transition to parenting.
View our upcoming parenting webinars, including Choosing Quality Child Care.
Backup child care
Screened and trained child care providers can assist when your regular child care or school arrangements are disrupted, or when your child is mildly ill. Backup care is available in-home or in-center.
Benefits-eligible MIT staff, faculty, and postdocs (associates and fellows) can request up to 15 days of backup child care per fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).
Eligible MIT graduate students can request up to 15 days of backup child care per fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) or date of graduation, whichever comes first.
MIT's portable child care subsidy
For eligible employees who apply during MIT's annual Benefits Open Enrollment period and are approved, MIT will fund Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (DCFSA) with pre-tax contributions ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 per calendar year.
