Family Resources

Graduate students are unique in that anyone can begin their graduate training at stage of their lives. Fortunately, UC Davis Graduate Studies and Human Resources provide a list of various resources for parent graduate students and their families.

Here we provide a summary of some of the resources described on their websites. Visit the Student Parents & Families page from Grad Studies and the Worklife Family Care resources pages from Human Resources for additional information on the summaries below, as well as resources for adults/elders and pets. See the Finances page for financial assistance especially for families.

Finding child care

The Worklife Child Care page lists available child care resources for children of many ages, both on and off campus for Davis and Sacramento, such as the City of Davis Child Care Service. The respective pages also include lists of online resources and reading resources, such as a general guide on how to find childcare and Children's Home Society, Yolo County's Resource and Referral organization. The Health Campus in Sacramento anticipates a mid-2021 opening date for the childcare facility at the new Child Development Center (CDC).

Pro-tip: apply for child care ASAP in case there is a wait list. The on-campus child care centers in Davis include:

The Early Childhood Lab School at the Center for Child & Family Studies is a teaching, research and demonstration laboratory within the Department of Human Ecology that enrolls children ages six month through five years in part-time (12 hours per week) active learning programs. It is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). In light of COVID, the ECL is offering remote early learning programs starting September 28, 2020.
The Hutchison Child Development Center is operated by Bright Horizons Family Solutions, a third-party vendor accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
The LaRue Park Child Development Center and the Russell Park Child Development Center are operated by Campus Child Care Inc., a third-party vendor accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

For emergency situations, see the Family Care resources page's guidelines for student parents/guardians with children on campus and learn about the Bright Horizons Family Supports program, which is free for post docs. Here are some special COVID-related resources for school-age kids.

Family leave

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Other Medical & Family Leave for Funded Graduate Students: Students employed as an Academic Student Employee (TA, Reader, Tutor, AI), or as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR), or supported by an internal or external fellowship, may be eligible for certain leaves as dictated by Graduate Studies' Policy for Family and Medical Leave Accommodation for Graduate Students with Funding (GS2015-01). To determine your eligibility and find out about the general requirements, talk to your PI and visit the following pages to learn more:

Regardless of funded leave eligibility, any student can file for Planned Educational Leave Program (PELP) for a maximum 3 quarters leave of absence with department and Graduate Studies approval (an extension can be requested). PELP gives time for the students to resolve personal, financial or medical problems, including care for a child or family member. The “clock” is paused during the time a student is in PELP and resumes when the student returns. See the National Postdoctoral Association's Guide to Pregnancy and Maternity Leave for tips on timing required family planning tasks.

Lactation support program

The UC Davis Lactation Support Program (LSP) provides university affiliates and their partners with lactation consultations, support group meetings, and the use of hospital grade breastpumps located in nearly 50 lactation sites on the UC Davis campus and 20 at UC Davis Health (Sacramento). After registering for the program, lactation rooms on campus not available to the general public for user health and safety reasons can be accessed. Most rooms provide hospital-grade pumps which are available for temporary "check out" to use in private spaces per department/supervisor request (contact: worklife@ucdavis.edu).

Learn more about Title IX protection for breastfeeding students from The Pregnant Scholar which provides a brief summary of students' rights to breastfeed.

Support groups

Visit the Worklife New Parent Support page for local and specific tools such as baby changing station maps on the Davis and Sacramento campuses and details about support groups:

The Women's Resources and Research Center (WRRC) is a safe place to ask questions and find resources. The WRRC offers information, guidance and referrals on a wide range of topics, including women's health, parenting and childcare, pregnancy, and sexual and dating violence.
UC Davis Graduate, Undergraduate and Professional Student Parents Facebook Page: a support group for graduate and professional mothers and their partners. This group also welcomes expecting mothers.
UC Davis Health System Parent Resource Group Facebook page. This is a closed group to support faculty, staff and postgraduates trainees of the UC Davis Health System.
Baby & Me Support Group: Welcomes moms, dads and other primary caregivers of infants from birth to nine months to provide a place where parents can learn from one another while building friendships and creating a support community. For more information, contact Janelle at 530-662-8000 or littlespudpatch@gmail.com; meets in woodland.
Woodland New Mothers Support Group: formed by the Woodland Healthcare lactation consultants and staff, along with other new mothers to answer questions and share the challenges and joys of bringing baby home. This support group is bilingual, open to the public and FREE of charge. For more information, call 530-669-5420.
Worth the Wait Support Group at Davis/UC Davis Health: a support group for women of Advanced Maternal Age (35 years and older); if you would like to join, please contact Jen Byberg at jabyberg@ucdavis.edu or Worth the Wait Moms Support Group on facebook https://m.facebook.com/groups/1840331559365943.
Doing it All When Your Children Are Small: a support group for faculty parents of babies, toddlers and preschool age children that shares ideas and strategies for engaging in research and writing while parenting a very young child or children
Yolo Center for Families: provides preventative and therapeutic mental health care in both English and Spanish to individuals and families in Yolo County for children, families, couples, and individuals

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