Stanford
Cardinal at Work

Back-Up Child Care

Even the best planned child care arrangements can be disrupted from time to time.  If your provider is unavailable (due to illness or vacation) we offer the Bright Horizons Back-up Care™ to assist. The program helps benefits-eligible faculty and staff to find high-quality temporary center-based and in-home child care from credentialed in-home care agencies and trained caregivers provided through Bright Horizons®.


For COVID-19 information for providers visit https://www.brighthorizons.com/covid19-providers

For updates and guidelines on back-up care related to COVID-19 visit www.brighthorizons.com/covid19

Available To

  • Faculty
  • Staff

NOTE: As part of Stanford University's employee benefit programs, you have access to certain resources which you may use to find care and other service providers meeting your unique needs and budget. Your use of these services is at your sole risk. You are responsible for the care/services you arrange, including the quality and the cost of the care/services, and for conducting any desired criminal records checks or other screening on any potential providers. Stanford University does not employ, recommend, endorse or screen any providers. Stanford University makes no representations or warranties about the quality of the care or other services provided by the providers or other third parties or about your interactions or dealings with any such parties.

Learn About This Service

As a benefits-eligible faculty or staff member, you can use the Bright Horizons Back-Up Care™ when you need to be at work and your regular child care arrangements are unavailable. Care options are available nationwide.

Register for free so you can use care:

  • When your regular caregiver is ill or temporarily unavailable
  • When you are between child care arrangements
  • When your child's school is closed
  • To ease transition back into a regular work schedule when returning from leave
  • To accommodate changes in flexible work arrangements

Details:

  • For center-based care there is a $15 co-pay per child per day, with a maximum of $25 per family per day
  • For in-home dependent care, there is a $6 co-pay per hour, with a 4-hour minimum and a 10-hour maximum per day for all in-home care reservations
  • This benefit is available for a maximum of 10 days for faculty and staff per calendar year
  • If care that is typically covered is unable to be provided, reimbursable care of $100 per day may be offered to offset the cost of care sourced on your own. Each reimbursement day counts as a back-up care use.

IRS Tax Information:

Usage of Stanford's back-up care program is an employer-sponsored service that will be reported in Box 10 on your W-2. Dependent care benefits include your pre-tax contributions to your dependent care FSA. Also included are eligible amounts paid by your employer to you or to your day care provider and the fair market value of dependent care in a facility provided by or sponsored by your employer. The fair market value of dependent care services that exceed the non-taxable limit of $5,000 allowed for the FSA is listed in boxes 1, 3 and 5 of the W-2 form. 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 (www.irs.gov).

Registration Information

When you need back-up care, you need it fast, so you are encouraged to register prior to any need. 

For more information and to register:

Call (877) BH-CARES (877-242-2737)

Or log in online using the information below.

  • Visit Bright Horizons Family Solutions*
  • If this is the first time you are using care, click on the Register Now link under the Login button
  • Username: sucares
  • Password: Benefits4You

*Please note, the registration site is best viewed in Internet Explorer 9 (in compatibility mode), Internet Explorer 11 or above, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Virtual Tutoring Through Back Up Care Benefit

As a benefits-eligible faculty or staff member, you can use the Bright Horizons Back-Up Care™ to reserve an experienced tutor to help your 5-18-year-old stay on track — whether during the school year or over summer break. Benefit includes:

  • Instant homework help in reading, math, science, social studies, and 300+ other subjects
  • Targeted support with a math or reading expert who can identify areas of opportunity and help your child excel
  • Each back-up care use can be exchanged for 4 hours of virtual tutoring

For more information:

To submit a tutoring request:

Submit a tutoring request through the back-up care site and schedule the days and times that work best for your family.

Right at School

Right at School is a nationally-recognized before and after school program on-site at participating school campuses. Right at School provides safe, engaging, and meaningful extracurricular programs to enrich the lives of students and give parents peace of mind.  Receive 20% off through your Bright Horizons benefits at participating school campuses and extend your child's day with learning, fitness, and fun. The program incorporates physical movement, outdoor time, and homework support.

For more information:

Bright Horizons 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
  • 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

More information about Enhanced Family Supports: 

Visit Bright Horizons Care Programs for Your Familyand select “Center-Based Child Care” to locate a center near you.