Family Learning Center converting services and extending hours to support medical care providers, including residents, and other essential personnel

In order to support our Washington University medical care providers. Including residents, and other essential personnel through the COVID-19 pandemic, the following changes will be made to the operation of the Family Learning Center, operated by Bright Horizons, effective immediately.

• The Family Learning Center is open and ready for placement of the children of Washington University medical care providers, including residents, and other essential personnel.
• Effective Wednesday, April 8, the hours of the Family Learning Center will be expanded from 5:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Priority for enrollment will be as follows:
• Children of dual WU healthcare providers, including residents (spouses or domestic partners)
• Children of WU medical providers or other essential personnel that are already on the wait list are included in this group
• Children of WU medical providers, including residents, and other essential personnel on a first come, first serve basis.
• Normal tuition rates will apply.
• You can register your child starting today. Please contact Kellie Jackson, Center Director at 314-935-3262 or Andrea Sayre, Assistant Director at 314-935-3261 or email wustl@brighthorizons.com.

Current families who do not meet this requirement have been informed that the FLC is being utilized only by health care providers and other essential personnel at this time and are not being charged fees. Their slots will be held and returned at whatever point in the future the FLC may be deemed to return to normal operations.

Child care support for Washington University-employed faculty and staff:

In addition, we have increased the number of uses of Back Up Care through Bright Horizons for Washington University-employed faculty and staff from 15 to 20 uses per calendar year. This does not includes residents who are eligible for other benefits through their employment at BJC. Please refer to this link for more information about this benefit which provides in-home care for children or adults/elders. Please note that center-based care is not currently available due to current requirements by the State of Missouri, St. Louis City, and St. Louis County.

• In-home care for children and adult/elders is $7 per hour with a four hour minimum.
• To register or to make reservations for care, please contact Bright Horizons by phone at 877-242-2737 or by accessing backup.brighthorizons.com. First time users will need to register by clicking on “Create Your Profile” and entering username “WUBACKUP” and password “BACKUP.”
• Additionally, Washington University employees have access to a free membership to Sittercity. This benefit can be found through the Additional Family Supports program on the portal at clients.brighthorizons.com/washu.
• University City-based babysitting service STLSitter will offer free one year memberships to first responders. Once registered, 24/7 access to pre-screened childcare providers will be available. Information on this service can be found at  www.stlsitter.com/

We appreciate your patience as we have worked to make these changes. We continue to look for additional childcare resources to support health care providers. To that end, we are sharing information on these additional resources in the St. Louis area:

• Child Care Aware of Missouri can provide childcare referrals to medical providers and other essential emergency personnel. To request a referral, please email referralcenter@mo.childcareaware.org, call 1-866-892-3228, or search online here.
• The Gateway Region YMCA is offering emergency child care, as well as early childhood education at several area YMCA locations for first responders and medical professionals and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Information about this program can be found at gwrymca.org/emergency-child-care.