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Back-Up Child and Elder Care Program

Bright Horizons® offers family and education benefits to help support you and your family. View the webinar for this benefit.

  • Each postdoc family may use up to 10 days per academic year (Sept 1 - Aug 31), 10 hours per day.
  • Stanford subsidizes the majority of the cost of care* while you pay a minimal copay. Center-based care is $15/day with a maximum of $25/family/day.
  • Care provided in your home is $6/hour, with a 4-hour minimum for all in-home care reservations (this includes child and elder care).

Although the program was created to provide backup child care options for those times when your normal caregiver is unavailable, Bright Horizons has additional support programs available to you. Explore all the benefits available to you:

  • Back-Up Child Care: Next time school is closed, the sitter's on vacation, or you're between child care arrangements, high-qualify back-up care is just a click or call away. Register for free, and we'll secure reliable care for you when and where you need it.
  • Back-Up Adult and Elder Care: When Mom gets injured, Dad’s recovering from surgery, or the regular caregiver calls out sick, we’ll arrange high-quality back-up care in their home.
  • Enhanced Family Supports: Do you need a night out of the house? Are you looking for an afterschool caregiver or someone to watch your pet while you’re away on vacation? Get free membership to a comprehensive database, where you can find support that meets your needs: nannies, sitters, elder caregivers, pet sitters, housekeepers, and more. Plus, get exclusive discounts on enrichment programs, camps, and after school care for your child.
  • Full-Time Child Care: You can jump ahead on the waitlist at select Bright Horizons centers, or enjoy exclusive discounts at participating partner centers that make child care more affordable.
  • Tutoring & Test Prep: Get discounted tutoring resources for SATs/ACTs, standardized tests, Common Core subjects, and general help for your student.

STEP 1: REGISTER

Registration is free - sign up ahead of time so that you're ready when you need emergency back-up care.

Online

Visit My Bright Horizons to begin registration

  • Select "Join Today" and create an account. Once you're logged in to MyBright Horizons, click on "All Benefits" under "Browse Your Benefits" to select the program you'd like to access.
  • Returning users, enter your username and password, then click "Login"
  • First-time users, click "Register" next to "Sign-in"
    • Enter the below credentials to identify your organization:
      • ​Username: SUPD
      • Password: Benefits4You
  • You will then be prompted to create a username and password for future use of the website

Note: If your benefit eligibility cannot be confirmed, you can still register by calling 877-BH-CARES. Your personal username and password will be delayed until confirmation is received.

Bright Horizons App

  • Search backup care in Apple Store or Google Play
  • Choose the Bright Horizons Back-Up Care app and install
  • Open app and click Log In
    • For first time users, enter the below credentials to identify your organization
      • ​Username: SUPD
      • Password: Benefits4You
  • You will then be prompted to create a username and password for future use of the website

Note: If your benefit eligibility cannot be confirmed, you can still register by calling 877-BH-CARES. Your personal username and password will be delayed until confirmation is received.

By Phone

  • Call 877-BH-CARES (242-2737) to speak with a care consultant 24/7
  • You’ll receive a confirmation email with a link to create a personalized username and password
  • Log in to your account with your new credentials

STEP 2: COMPLETE YOUR CARE PROFILE

On the home page, click on the blue “Create Your Care Profile” button and follow these steps:

  • Fill Out Your Profile: Provide your relevant contact information
  • Add Care Recipients: Enter your relationship, care location(s), and health information, and download/complete any required care forms
  • Enable Authorized Contacts: Add any adults (e.g., spouse/partner, grandparent, or friend) as an emergency contact and/or authorized to pick up care recipients
  •  Enter Care Locations: Let us know where you will typically need care

STEP 3: RESERVE BACK-UP CARE

Access up to 10 days of back-up care per academic year (Sept 1 - Aug 31) at subsidized rates. Child care in a center is $15 per child/day or $25 per family/day. In-home care is $6 per hour (4 hour min.) for children, adults, and elders. Reservations for back-up care can be made:

  • Online: Visit backup.brighthorizons. Once you have completed your care profile, visit the home page and click on the blue “Make My First Reservation” button
  • By Phone: Call 877-BH-CARES (242-2737) to speak with a care consultant 24/7
  • Via Mobile App: If you’re fully registered and have used care once before, search “Back-Up Care” in the App Store or Google Play and download the app to reserve care on the go

Enhanced Family Supports

In order to assist you in your search for ongoing child care, you also have:

  • Priority access enrollment status for full-time enrollment at Bright Horizons child care centers
  • Tuition discounts at Bright Horizons partner network centers
  • Free access to Sittercity's premium database of sitters, including virtual sitting and discounted local placement service for trained, screened nannies
  • Program Video
  • Enhanced Family Support FAQs

Additional Resources

*IRS Tax Information

The fair market value of the backup care subsidized and paid for by Stanford, whether paid to you or to your day care provider, or to a facility is considered imputed income and will be reported in Box 10 on your W-2 or on a 1099-Misc. You must complete Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses, to compute any taxable and nontaxable amounts. For further guidance on this topic, and to review any questions you may have, please contact a tax professional or the IRS directly. Additional information about Child and Dependent Care Credit is on the IRS website.