Childcare and School

Childcare needs are often stressful for families.  The sooner you start sorting out childcare arrangements, the better. If you are looking for childcare assistance, email Cornell’s Dependent Care Consultant, Diane Bradac to set up a meeting. Diane is available to talk with you on topics related to dependent care, such as locating providers, nannies and babysitters, parenting children with special needs, and more. In this meeting, you will discover your daycare options so that you are fully informed of what the landscape will look like as you create this new world for your child and you.

Care@Work (Care.com) as an option…

Finding care for your family, pets, and home can be a challenge! To help you locate caregivers, Cornell now provides free membership access to Care.com through their employer platform, Care@Work!

With 11.4 million caregivers in its directory, Care.com helps you find, schedule, and manage care via the Care.com app and website. Read reviews by previous hirers, search based on availability, and much more!

Eligibility: Care@Work is available to benefits-eligible employees, retirees, postdoc associates, and graduate and professional students.

Looking for a caregiver? Start your membership today! Or, convert your existing Care.com membership to a Cornell-sponsored account.

  1. First, visit the HR website for details about the service.
  2. Then head to Cornell’s Care enrollment page to create an account with your Cornell ID number.
  3. Post a position and/or search the directory for caregivers.

The Cornell University Child Care Center, managed by Bright Horizons Family Solutions, provides care to children ages 6 weeks to 5 years of Cornell students, staff, and faculty.  Part and full-time options are available.  You may want to consider this as a viable option for you and your family.  Call (607) 255-1010 for more information.

Public School Information:  Public school education is free in the US for all children aged 5 and older. A child must be 5 years of age by December 1 in order to begin school that same year. To enroll your child, contact your local public school office. 

To enroll your children in school or child care, you must have a record of their immunizations along with their birth certificate or passport. For up-to-date information about required immunizations visit Ithaca City School District.

Helpful to students with children is a Cornell-sponsored informational e-list that alerts parents of local school closings.  Once you subscribe, you will receive an email message with the name of the closed school in the subject line.  If your children are not in that school, please disregard the message.  Please do not call the schools.  To subscribe:

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