Child Care and Family Resources for Faculty and Staff

The University of Denver recognizes the importance of accessible and affordable child care and family services in attracting an excellent and diverse population of faculty and staff, reducing stress and absenteeism, and increasing retention. In addition to serving the evolving needs of our current employees, we strive to make the University of Denver more appealing to new faculty and staff hires. We are committed to making substantial improvements as well as attending to the "little" things at DU that could make a big difference for you and your family. We hope this website will assist you in making informed decisions and in balancing scholarship, work, and family life. This information is designed to provide DU faculty and staff with an overview of campus work/family policies, programs, and resources.

FAMILY CARE BENEFITS AT DU

The University of Denver provides many benefits that support employees and their families. For an overview of family health and dental insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, family tuition waivers, and relocation services, visit the DU Human Resources website.

DU provides a generous faculty and staff paid parental leave program for pregnancy, child birth, and adoption. Faculty members may have one academic term of paid leave during pregnancy and the first year after the birth or adoption of a child, whether because of a pregnancy-related disability or for childcare. If a faculty member has previously taken disability leave (as permitted by applicable leave policy) due to a serious pregnancy-related illness, parental leave will still be available once the child is born in an amount up to one full academic term. Visit Faculty Paid Parental Leave for more information about applying.

Appointed staff members may have up to ten weeks of paid parental leave, during pregnancy and the first year after birth or adoption of a child, whether because of a pregnancy-related disability or for child care. In cases where the birth mother is taking Parental Leave, the paid leave will always be in conjunction with the 60% Core Short Term Disability Benefit. Employees who have completed less than one year of appointed, benefit-eligible service would receive 1/3 paid leave and the remaining 2/3 would be paid by the employee drawing first upon unused sick accrual and then vacation accrual. Appointed, benefit-eligible employees who have completed between one and two years of service would receive 2/3 paid leave and the remaining 1/3 would be paid by the employee drawing first upon unused sick accrual and then vacation accrual. Employees who have two years or more of service would receive full paid leave without drawing upon unused sick or vacation accruals. More information is available at Staff Paid Parental Leave.

In accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), DU also provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons. For a detailed guide about this benefit, visit FMLA Understanding Your Rights & University of Denver Guidelines.

STRESSED OUT? THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CAN HELP

The Employee Assistance Program is a confidential resource for University of Denver faculty, administrators, and staff. The University recognizes that personal stress affects not only an individual's life, but also the quality of an individual's work. The goal of the Employee Assistance Program is to minimize the effects of personal stress on both a person's life and his or her work. Learn more>>

FAMILY ACTIVITIES AT DU AND IN THE METRO DENVER AREA

The University Community hosts several events that appeal to the whole family throughout the year. For detailed information about happenings at DU, visit http://ducal.du.edu/ and select among a variety of calendars.

There are several great resource for families in the metro Denver area. The website Coloradokids.com has an activity guide that lists after-school activities, arts for kids, fun things to do, sports programs, and summer and winter fun activities. Coloradokids.com also provides coupons that you can print to save money on admission tickets and services.

About.com also has a useful family activity guide that includes attractions, museums, and summer camps. Another website, goCityKids, lists concerts, exhibits, films, storytelling, workshops, and other activities. Denver.org provides information about kid-friendly events and theme tours such as Elitch Gardens, Heritage Square, and Tiny Town.