Family Benefits
for Grad Employees & Postdocs
The Health & Welfare Trust Fund offers a suite of benefits to support grad student employee and Postdoc families, including the Trust Fund Childcare Reimbursement, subsidized childcare slots at CEEC, subsidized dental and vision family plan rates, on-campus lactation stations, the family-friendly workspace, and more.
Are you or is someone you know welcoming a new child to the family? Fill out the form below so that we can help make sure parent/guardian and child secure their benefits!
Understanding
The Trust Fund Childcare Reimbursement
UAW/UMASS is one of several childcare assistance sources at UMass.
The Health & Welfare Trust Fund administers one of the childcare subsidies available at UMass: the Trust Fund reimbursement programs for Grad Employees and Postdocs.
The Graduate Student Senate (GSS) subsidy program and The Student Parent Programs CCAMPUS subsidy program also administer childcare funding programs for Grad Employees. We encourage you to also apply for these benefits as they may be available to you as an eligible grad student.
Eligibility for the Trust Fund Childcare Reimbursement
1. Applicants must be eligible Grad Employees or Postdocs, according to the guidelines for dental and vision insurance.
2. Eligible childcare sources include:
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state-licensed* (or equivalent) infant, toddler, or preschool care in center based and group home-based settings
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before and after-school based care
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summer camp
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organizational/center based extracurricular activities (i.e. excludes private lessons)
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tutoring, homework assistance and online instructional programming costs for school-aged children
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Family, Friends, and Neighbor (FFN) informal care or babysitting (limited by a lower $3000 maximum)
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*State-licensed care means that the State of Massachusetts' Office of Early Education & Care (or comparable state office in another state) has provided a license to your provider to operate. The state publishes a list of licensed providers. Please check with your provider if they are not on this list as some are exempt under the EEC guidelines.
There is a $6,000 per child (for whom receipts are submitted) plan year maximum a family can be reimbursed and up to $3,000 of this maximum can be used for Family, Friends and Neighbors (FFN) Informal Care receipts. For example, you may submit up to $3,000 of receipts for FFN care and still be eligible for an additional $3,000 in non-FFN childcare reimbursements for a total of $6,000. The full eligibility requirements and guidelines for how we determine childcare reimbursements are available below.
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Applying for the Trust Fund Childcare Reimbursement
Applications for the Trust Fund Childcare Reimbursement can be submitted in the enrollment portal.
Application steps:
1: Add your child's name and date of birth to the application when asked in you have family members.
2. Accept the childcare benefit on the application.
3. Your dashboard will then have a prompt to add your tax return information and to complete your childcare planning form.
4. Based on this information, we'll assign you a percentage reimbursement (for example, 50% of your receipts will be reimbursed) and we'll email you with this information.
5. You can start submitting ​your receipts on a rolling basis as they become available, according to the timeframes below. As you submit receipts, we will release any funds committed to you.
Submission Deadlines:​
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The deadline to submit fall childcare receipts (Aug-Dec) is December 31st.
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The deadline to submit spring childcare receipts (Jan-May) is May 31st.
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The deadline to submit summer childcare receipts (June-July) is July 31st.
Details on what to Submit in the Enrollment Portal:
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Pg 1 of your most recent federal tax return (for yourself & your partner/spouse if filing separately)
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Your best estimate of what you will spend for childcare during the period (i.e. for Fall 2025, I anticipate spending $1000 month for care). We will use your estimate to provide you with a tentative estimate of what you can expect for the plan year.
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Your receipts for the period (you can return to the portal to upload additional receipts as your receipts become available)
Important documents:
Important to note:
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When you plan to graduate, note this in the portal. During your final semester (or summer) prior to graduation, we are able to increase any applicable maximum by up to $3000 per family. You must provide notice of your pending loss of eligibility to receive this increased maximum.
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Significant changes in income (job loss or pay cut, divorce, death) can be documented and noted in the portal used to adjust your last tax return's adjusted gross income.
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FFN provider must not be a permanent resident of your household or be part of your immediate family (child or spouse).
Predicting your Trust Fund Childcare Reimbursement
The Trust Fund cannot guarantee reimbursements because so many changing variables impact the number and amount of reimbursements per period, such as the number of eligible applicants, their actual total child care costs, etcetera.
However, you can review what families similar to yours have received in previous rounds of reimbursement. Please account for the fact that any other subsidy received for the same period will reduce your total reported child care costs.​
Find Your Fee Level to Predict your Reimbursement Percentage
Access the fee level chart here.
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Find your family's adjusted gross income (AGI) on your most recent Federal Tax Return(s), usually on line 11.
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Divide your AGI by 12 months. Using the fee level chart above, find this amount in the column corresponding to your family size.
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Move to the right in that row to find the the corresponding fee level for your family.
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Then, in the rightmost column, you'll find the current percentage we're reimbursing families at that income level.
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These instructions do not guarantee a reimbursement but are for informational purposes only. Once you complete the childcare application (with pg 1 of your household's most recent federal tax return and a childcare planning document), we will email you with the percentage you can expect to be reimbursed after deducting any other childcare funding you may be receiving for the same period.
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NEW in 2025-26: Family Resource Closet!
The Family Resource Closet (FRC) is a resource for Grad Employees and Postdocs, offering a free diaper bank and free gently used gear, clothing and other essentials for parents. The selection of second-hand items is constantly changing and you can view the current inventory here.
In order to access the resource closet, esign the waiver on your portal dashboard which looks like this:
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Once you esign, you’ll be sent a link so that you can schedule an appointment to visit the resource closet using Calendly.
We also accept items from parents who are looking to regift diapers their child has sized out of, clothing, and gear. If you have items you’d like to part with, please fill out the form here.
Family Friendly Workspace
The FFW is a cozy, private, child-friendly workspace that Grad Employees and Postdocs can reserve to get some work done while they're on campus.
The space can be reserved Monday-Saturday in 2 hour increments, starting at 8 am and with the last booking starting at 6 pm. ​
The workspace includes...
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a work desks with a task chair
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an armchair for reading
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a small table and chairs for children
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phone chargers
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kid's books, toys and art supplies
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refrigerator
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bottle warmer for nursing parents
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Keurig coffee maker and K-cups
To reserve the space:
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Log in to your dashboard
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E-sign the FFW waiver
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Once you e-sign, you'll be sent an email to reserve the space using Calendly.
Location:
The FFW is located in Thompson Lowrise Room 10 (behind the Thompson tower). See this map for where to enter building.
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If you're entering the building from the parking lot side, you will turn right and then left to access the stairs which will take you to the lower level of Thompson.
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Follow the signs for the lower level bathrooms.
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You will receive a door access code in your confirmation email.
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Note that on the weekends, there is only one outside door to Thompson that is open. It is on the parking lot side of the building (the right side if you are standing at the front of Thompson).
Unfortunately, the Thompson Lowrise is not accessible by elevator. There are two short flights of stairs from the ground level to the lower floor.
Using the Wellness Reimbursement for Family
Your family can be reimbursed up to $240/year for grad student employees and $150/year for postdocs for eligible fitness and wellness costs through the Wellness Reimbursement as long as your family members are enrolled in your other benefits (dental & vision).
In other words, their wellness expenditures can be counted toward the $240 or $150 reimbursement.
For example: your spouse takes yoga classes, you (as the eligible employee) have a Planet Fitness single membership, and you just purchased a new bike for your child. All of these are eligible receipts you can submit for the wellness reimbursement.
Each family member does not receive their own $240 or $150 reimbursement for grad student employees and postdocs respectively; rather, the reimbursement is shared.
Other Family Benefits
The following benefits are available for grad employee and postdoc families.
Subsidized Dental and Vision Family Plan Rates
The Trust Fund heavily subsidizes the cost of family plans to keep them affordable. Each family member on your plan will receive the same benefits.
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Altus Dental Family Plan highlights:
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100% coverage for fluoride for children 18 and younger (1 in 6 months)
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Orthodontic for adults and coverage for children to age 19
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Athletic mouth guards for dependent children under age 19 once every 24 months covered @ 65%
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$2250 calendar year maximum for each family member
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EyeMed Vision Family Plan highlights:
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We increased the family frame allowance from $175 to $185 to keep more money in your pocket
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We now offer coverage for diabetic care services
Benefits for Grad Student Employee Families
The following benefits are not currently available to Postdocs.
Subsidized Childcare Slots at CEEC
Semester Care: If your family meets the income qualifications (levels 1 to 11 of the Trust Fund Childcare Reimbursement sheet, see above), the Trust Fund will pay the full tuition for up to 30 hours of care per week at the CEEC.
The Trust Fund will also partially subsidize summer slots for Grad Employees at CEEC. 15 slots will be assigned through CEEC channels. If you get a spot, we will subsidize 50% of your tuition for 13 weeks of care.
Get on the waiting list as soon as you can by calling the CEEC at (413) 545-1566.
Grad Student Health Plan vs. UAW/UMass HWTF
UAW/UMass HWTF does NOT manage the Graduate Student Health Plan.
The student health plan is separate from your Trust Fund benefits. Still, we want to make you aware that:​​
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You can add a spouse and/or children to your student health plan. Click here for a breakdown.
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If your child(ren) are enrolled in your student health plan, the student health plan provides some pediatric dental and vision benefits for them, even if they aren't enrolled on your separate Trust Fund dental & vision plans.