Kids Kare at Home Backup Child Care for U-M Students

Students: Register now for Kids Kare at Home backup child care

Please log in to register or to see your current hourly rate. Please note: if you were registered for 2024, your registration will automatically carry over into 2025.

The Kids Kare at Home service provider has specific requirements before they will consider care requests for mildly-ill children.

Faculty and Staff: Sign up for new backup care

U-M now partners with Bright Horizons® to provide low-cost backup care and access to more resources for eligible faculty and staff.

About Kids Kare at Home for students

If your regular child caregiver is unavailable, and you have U-M school commitments, Kids Kare at Home may be able to help.

  • Occasional, backup, in-your-home child care for currently enrolled and registered U-M students. 
  • Partially-subsidized hourly rate for families who qualify (based on reported total household adjusted gross income). Please note that any subsidy is limited to 48 subsidized hours of care per calendar year, per U-M household. Any hours over 48 hours per calendar year are billed at the unsubsidized rate of $28.50 per hour.
  • For children ages 13 and under (or older children with special needs up to the age of 25 who cannot be left alone)
  • Care is provided by Kennedy Care/Safe at Home, a contracted supplier of services
  • Caregivers are Red Cross trained, and have had state and FBI criminal background checks
  • Please log in to register for access (registering in advance of needing a caregiver is highly recommended)
  • Families who request care will also need to complete annual information forms for Kennedy Care/Safe at Home

Learn more:

Please note: the unsubsidized rate for Kids Kare is currently $28.50 (for one to two children, minimum four hours daily; three or more children are billed at 1 1/2 times this hourly rate). However, you may qualify for a U-M subsidized rate. On the Kids Kare online registration form, be sure to enter your reported total household adjusted gross income, which is indicated on your federal tax return, to determine if you qualify for a subsidy. If we do not have your household income amount, you will automatically be billed for the full, unsubsidized cost of care.

Disclaimer: The U-M Kids Kare at Home program is offered as an option for parents and guardians. The use of the program should be carefully considered by parents and guardians, taking into account individual situations and preferences. The caregivers for this program are screened through a caregiver agency, Kennedy Care/Safe at Home. Child and Family Care does not endorse or recommend any individual caregiver.