The University of California has established policies to express its commitment to a workplace culture supportive of family care-giving responsibilities. Please refer to the Academic Personnel and Programs website on family friendly policies(link is external) for further information.
Family Responsive Policies
We have some of the best family-responsive policies, including:
- Childbearing leave
- Tenure clock extension for one year for both men and women caring for a newborn or child newly placed for adoption or foster care (requested within two years of the birth or placement); or for a serious personal health condition, illness of a family member, for bereavement, or for another significant circumstance or event.
- A reduction of duties (typically less teaching) for one semester for parents who provide at least 50% of the care of a child. Birth mothers are entitled to two semesters.
- Faculty can use research funds to be reimbursed for dependent care travel expenses when allowable by their granting agency. Learn more
- We also support faculty with caregiving leaves and temporary workload modification. Learn more
We care about you.
Children and Teens
- UC Berkeley Early Childhood Education Program.
- Bananas compilation of local resources for childcare needs.
- Berkeley Parents Network assessment of local resources for families.
- UC Berkeley Cal Camps & Youth Program for summer fun.
- Berkeley CareBubbles: an online parent-to-parent resource for supporting one another with dependent care needs
Elder Care
UCB Elder Care program offers confidential, free assistance for faculty and staff who are caring for, or concerned about an elder. An Elder Care Counselor can answer your questions, help you set priorities and refer you to resources and caregiver support groups both locally and long distance.
Back Up Care Program
UC Berkeley has partnered with Bright Horizons to offer all benefits-eligible academic employees back-up care when they need to be at work and their regular child or adult/elder care is unavailable. Learn more
Bright Horizons Additional Family Supports
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Help and discounts for finding nannies, child care centers, tutors, etc., as well as information and resources. (Please note that not all represented employees are eligible for this UCOP-sponsored program. Consult with your union representative for more information).
- Bright Horizons Family Resources for Life at Home.
Partner and Spouse Employment
We offer several resources for partners and spouses seeking employment.
- The UC Berkeley jobs website posts all open academic and staff positions at Berkeley.
- The Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) posts jobs at UC Berkeley and other local universities. You can create a profile to receive notifications of new postings of interest to you.
- Chairs and Deans can sometimes assist in locating academic employment at Berkeley.
- Partner Hiring Program Guidelines and Procedures
Health Programs
Be Well at Work Faculty/Staff Health Programs at UC Berkeley
Please visit this link for workshops, resources, and health programs. Workshop topics include health & wellness, ergonomics, disability management, elder care, financial wellness, parenting, and stress management.
Breastfeeding Support Program
Please visit this link for information on the BFSP program, including registration, breast pump products available, lactation rooms on campus, classes, accommodation, supplies and additional resources.
The Pregnant Scholar
This website helps ensure the success of student parents and seeks to advance women’s representation in STEM fields by providing user-friendly information and resources on Title IX for faculty, administrators, and pregnant students and postdocs. The site includes a wide range of tools—from introductory videos to in-depth best-practice guides.