Event Child Care

Rather than setting up and staffing child care rooms for campus events, U-M departments and programs are encouraged to support families (U-M faculty, staff, and students, as well as visitors or guests) in securing their own child care off-campus. University rooms and spaces might not provide needed safety and required equipment; State of Michigan child care licensing rules are in place; and staffing requires background checks, training and supervision.

Instead, U-M departments and programs might consider some of the following ideas:

• Reimbursing U-M affiliates or visitors for a portion of their personal child care expenses related to your event, if your budget allows
• Offering financial support for visitors to bring their own family member or friend to provide child care in their hotel room
• Providing colleagues or visitors with multiple resources such as online caregiver listings at Care.com (a U-M affiliate benefit) and Sittercity.com, and agencies such as Kennedy Care Backup Child Care (a U-M affiliate benefit) and Jovie, if they would like to hire someone to provide care in their home or hotel room. Also, parents may be able to find short-term care, particularly on weekdays, in a licensed child care center or home. Only the parent should search for and secure this child care, not the U-M host department or program.
• Possibly evaluate (based on the situation, type of event, input from leadership, etc.) if a parent or legal guardian might be able to bring their own child with them to campus, with the understanding that the parent or legal guardian and child will be together at all times, and the parent or legal guardian will provide all care for their own child at all times

Short-term Ongoing Child Care

Any proposed, ongoing child care programs must be developed according to the State of Michigan child care center licensing rules, and the U-M Children on Campus policies.

The U-M Children's Centers, which are already state licensed, may be able to offer child care during limited weekend hours for those who wish to organize ongoing, reservation-based child care programs for U-M students and employees. This would need to be explored months in advance, and done in collaboration with the Child and Family Care director and the center director. The sponsoring organization could be responsible for supporting some or all of the following, but not limited to: program design, staff hiring, training, scheduling, enrollment of families, payment handling, and following all child care licensing and U-M requirements.  

Important Resources

Child and Family Care provides links to child care search resources. Email us if you have general questions regarding these resources.

Please note that Child and Family Care cannot provide guidance on setting up temporary child care spaces in campus buildings or in the community. Please refer to the State of Michigan child care center licensing rules and the U-M Children on Campus program.

Child and Family Care does not endorse or represent any resources listed as recommended by the University of Michigan.