Back-Up Care
Wellthy Backup Care Services
Harvard University offers a range of back-up care options to support faculty and staff when regular caregiving arrangements are unavailable due to illness, closures, or other unexpected disruptions.
Through Harvard’s contract with Wellthy, benefits-eligible faculty and staff can access a suite of services, including subsidized childcare, adult care, and self-care assistance:
- Back-up childcare: Care is available at subsidized rates through a wide range of providers.
- Back-up adult care: In-home care for elders or other adults at subsidized rates.
- Self-Care: Employees can also use Wellthy providers for their own care when recovering from illness or injury.
- Elder Care Concierge: Free access to professional senior care advisors, to help with the challenges of caring for aging family members.
Employees are eligible for up to 20 days of subsidized back-up care per fiscal year (July 1–June 30). Current faculty and staff can find more details about all of the services available on the Backup Care page (HarvardKey required) on the employee website, HARVie.
Register in advance: To use Wellthy services, employees must pre-register and accept a waiver of liability.
Financial Assistance for Back-Up Care
For benefits-eligible employees with a full-time equivalent (FTE) annual salary under $85,000, the SOURCE program offers reimbursement of up to $350 per year for back-up care. Eligible employees can choose the type of care, including services provided by friends, neighbors, relatives, or licensed childcare centers.
Current employees should visit the SOURCE Program page (HarvardKey required) for details on how to apply.