Backup Care
All dependents are eligible for the Backup Care. Eligible employees who are actively working have access to subsidized Backup Care each year for up to 15 calendar days. The options available are:
You can reserve in-home care for children, adults, or elder loved ones up to 90 days in advance.
Center-based child care and school-age camps
The Berkeley Lab's Backup Care program is a benefit that helps employees find caregivers when their usual child care/eldercare arrangements break down. It allows the employee to go to work and be productive, reducing the stress of finding a caregiver independently.
Contact
The Backup Care Program is administered by Bright Horizons, with the Lab’s HR Benefits Group providing vendor management. Contact Bright Horizons at (877) 242-2737 for any questions regarding the program. Contact HR Benefits (benefits@lbl.gov) for any issues not resolved directly by Bright Horizons.
To request Bright Horizons backup care, find instructions here: Registration/Reservation
Reminder: Please review the taxable benefit section below.
The service can be used up to 15 days per calendar year. Berkeley Lab employees are encouraged to register in advance. Registration is free and does not commit an employee to use the service.
Eligibility
Employees
The eligible population for this program consists of employees who are career, term, or Postdoctoral Fellows.
The following groups are excluded:
Employees on Limited Assignment
Faculty
Graduate Student Research Associates
Student Assistants
Affiliates
Contractors
Rehired Retirees
Visiting Researchers
Employees are only eligible while on active pay status in the Lab’s payroll system.
Dependents
For purposes of this benefit, ‘dependent’ is anyone currently dependent on the caretaking of the employee. This is most frequently a child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, or other family member, but is not limited to these or any other specific categories. In addition, this benefit can be used by the employee directly. Children are 0-17, and adults are 18 and above.
Cost
The Lab is subsidizing some of this service’s costs to help reduce what employees pay. Employees copayments:
$15/child with a maximum of $25/family per visit for center-based care during the center’s normal operating hours
$6/hour per caregiver for in-home care; no additional charge for evening/weekend care (4-hour minimum, up to 3 dependents)
An additional charge of $50/hour for medical care
Employees pay Bright Horizons directly using a credit or debit card, payable at the time of reservation.
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (Dep-Care FSA) can not be used for this service.
Registration / Reservation
Before using the service, employees must register using one of these two methods:
Visit the Bright Horizons Back-Up Care program website and use this login information:
Username: LBNL
Password: 4Backup
A unique username and password will be assigned to each employee during registration.
Call Bright Horizons toll-free at 877-BH-CARES (877 242-2737)
Registration takes about 5 to 10 minutes. It is recommended that employees register before services are needed, but registration can also be done on the same day, subject to space availability. Additional dependents can be added at any time.
Registration is free and does not commit an employee to use the service. Registered people can take advantage of information and resources for parents and families on the Bright Horizons Back-Up Care program website.
Once registered, employees can make reservations online or over the phone (877-242-2737) for backup care.
Reservations can be made up to one month in advance of and up to the day backup care is needed. No more than five consecutive days can be scheduled. Consultants are available 24/7 by phone or online (using the number and link above) to assist employees with their backup care needs.
For more information on program policies, register and log into your account.
Taxable Benefits
The Backup Care program provides employees with certain types of dependent care, charging a co-pay that is less than the market rate for these services. The difference between the market rate and the employee co-pay is considered a taxable benefit and is treated by the IRS as additional income to the employee.
The market value is based on national averages and will be reviewed and adjusted annually. The following are the current market values for the following services:
Center care: $80/day
In-home care: $27/hour
The amount of tax paid depends upon the tax bracket of the individual.
The additional income is reported monthly as Other Income on the employee’s paycheck and will be subject to the following taxes:
Medicare
OASDI – Social Security
Federal income tax
State income tax
Page Updated: 06/26/2024