Family Resources

Leaves of Absences

Physicians may need time away from work for personal, family, or medical reasons. UC San Diego offers a range of leave options to support well-being, including medical leave, family and medical leave, parental leave, and other protected leaves. These programs are designed to allow faculty and staff to address important life events while maintaining benefits and, where applicable, job protection.

To explore the full range of leave options please visit the Academic Resource Center (ARC). 

For MSP Staff Physicians, leave requests and approvals are coordinated through Health Human Resources (HHR). We encourage you to connect with HHR early to understand eligibility, documentation requirements, and timelines for approval.

Because leave policies and benefits may vary based on appointment type, duration of service, and individual circumstances, physicians are encouraged to work closely with their department and HR partners to ensure a smooth and well-supported leave process.

State law requires the university to provide space close to an employee's work area where she can express milk in private. This can include private offices or lockable meeting space. Restrooms are not considered appropriate spaces.

• To find your nearest lactation room, visit this map of UC San Diego Lactation Rooms.
• For lactation room access: Health lactation rooms - please submit a request on the Health Human Resources website. Click "New Request">"Self Service">"Employee Relations Inquiry"

Additional resources:

• UC Lactation policy 
• Full Lactation resource page on UCSD Blink

UC Fertility Benefit

All of UC's medical plans offer benefits related to infertility, although coverage varies by plan.

Benefit summary: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/forms/pdf/infertility-benefits-fact-sheet.pdf 

All PPO Members: Infertility Support Program through WINFertility

UC families enrolled in the Anthem UC Care, HSP, and CORE medical plans are provided a 2-cycle lifetime maximum benefit toward eligible expenses related to fertility treatment and related fertility medications. Coverage includes IVF, GIFT, and ZIFT coverage with 50% coinsurance (after deductible), up to a combined limit of two treatment cycles per lifetime, per member. For more details, read about WINFertility on UC's Benefits site, or see the WINFertility flyer [PDF] and detailed coverage information [PDF].

Access options:

• For benefit details and eligibility, contact WINFertility at (877) 451-3077 Monday–Friday 6 a.m.–4:30 p.m. PT, or visit managed.winfertility.com/universityofcalifornia.
• Download the WINFertility Companion app from Google Play or the App Store to take advantage of your benefits on the go. (App code: UCA23.)
• You can also access WINFertility through Accolade Health Care Advocate. After setting up your account with Accolade, navigate to "Programs" (in the app, on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen) and find WINFertility in the "Featured Programs".

Bright Horizons Care Advantage

Bright Horizons Care Advantage is a UC sponsored benefit to help eligible employees access care for all members of their family (child, senior and pet) and save money on test prep, tutoring and preferred child care centers.

Services you have access to:

• Sittercity, which offers profiles, reviews and background check information for pre-screened individual in-home caregivers including babysitters, full and part-time nannies, pet sitters, tutors, housekeepers, and individual senior caregivers
• Years Ahead, which offers a nationwide network of senior care providers, including certified senior care advisors for guidance, specialized facilities including memory and hospice care and independent and assisted living communities, and in-home healthcare and senior care companions
• Preferred enrollment at participating Bright Horizons child care centers nationwide
• Tuition discounts at participating provider centers for ages 2 and older
• BrightStudy tutoring and test prep resources and referrals
• Back-up Care, arranged temporary care for your loved one when a scheduled caregiver is unavailable or when child care is needed due to an unforeseen event or natural disaster. To register or get more information, call a Bright Horizons' consultant at (877) 242-2737. 

Website: https://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/services/support/family/bright-horizons.html 

How it works: UC pays the fee that gives you access to the Bright Horizons Care Advantage website with its networks of pre-screened providers. You make all the arrangements, including selection and hiring, and pay the provider you choose directly.

Sittercity

Use Sittercity’s web tools to find appropriate in-home caregivers. You can:

• Search for caregivers using direct search based on criteria important to you or post a job and have candidates apply to you
• Read profiles and reviews of caregivers
• Check caregivers’ references
• Check references and view background checks for the candidates you prefer before you interview and select the caregiver of your choice

UC access link: https://www.sittercity.com/bh-benefits/universityofcalifornia 

UCSD Early Childhood Education Center

To learn more about ECEC, visit https://child.ucsd.edu. Questions may be directed to Jackie Gelle, Enrollment & Family Services Coordinator, at jgelle@ucsd.edu.

Website: https://child.ucsd.edu/program/apply.html

How to Apply for Childcare

If you are interested in applying for care at the Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC), please submit a separate application for each child you wish to enroll, either online or by mail. Each application must be accompanied by a check (payable to UC Regents) for the non-refundable processing fee. 

Application fees:

• $70 per child for university staff, faculty, postdocs and community families
• $35 per child for UC San Diego undergraduate and graduate students

If your child has not yet reached an eligible enrollment age, you may still apply and have your child placed in a waiting pool. We are unable to determine a wait time estimate for enrollment.

Apply Online

Complete an application for each child you wish to enroll. Mail a check (payable to UC Regents) for the processing fee(s) to:

University of California San Diego
Early Care and Education
9500 Gilman Drive #0962
La Jolla, CA 92093-0962