Plan Child Care

Childcare is in high demand in the United States and securing a spot for your child(ren) can take some time. We encourage you to start finding care early on if you prefer regular care. The programs listed below are affiliated with UO and provide a unique environment of high-quality early childhood education and care that exceeds state certification standards.   

Moss Street Children's Center: Moss Street Children's Center, a program of the Erb Memorial Student Union, offers university student families priority and a tuition discount.  The center serves children for three months through 5 years.  For more information: https://moss.uoregon.edu/ or contact the center directly at 541-346-4384. 

Co-op Family Center: The Co-op Family Center is an independent, nonprofit childcare center located in UO Spencer View Family Housing.  Student Families receive priority and a tuition discount.  Parents may co-op in the classroom and at events for tuition reduction.  The center serves children from eight weeks to eleven years old.  For more information: http://coopfamilycenter.org or contact the center directly at 541-346-7400.

Plan for your Spouse/ Partner

If your spouse/partner accompanies you during your stay in the U.S., you will need unique services and resources to help them feel at home. Living in one of the UO family housing units is an effective way to find community and supportive resources. 

Education: If your spouse/partner decides to pursue a degree program while in the U.S., speak with an advisor in ISSS well in advance to make sure it is legally possible to do so. For example, F-2 visa holders must change their visa status to F-1 before beginning a full-time study program. This can be a lengthy process (up to a year), and planning is necessary to make sure a change of status is completed smoothly and on time. 

Employment: Getting a job in the U.S. is an effective way for them to become integrated into the community and gain valuable experience. Dependents with J-2 status are allowed to apply for a work permit to work in the U.S. However, many dependent visa types are NOT allowed to have paid employment in the U.S. such as F-2 and H-4. Check with the ISSS office about your dependent’s work eligibility before he or she accepts any paid job offers. 

Unpaid or Volunteer Work: If they are not eligible for paid employment due to their visa status, unpaid or volunteer work may be a suitable alternative. As a volunteer, they can gain experience and become a part of the community. 

J-2 Employment: J-2 family members (spouse or child dependents age 14+ of J-1 visa holders) are eligible to apply for a work permit and work full time in the U.S. Although J-2s are free to seek employment anywhere they like, the purpose of the employment should be for cultural enrichment and should not be based on financial need. Be aware that J-2 dependents cannot apply for a work permit until they are physically present in the U.S., and they have received an employment authorization card (EAD) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Employment authorization cards can take three or more months to process from the time of application and will need to be renewed yearly. 

Enroll your children in ages 6-18 school

There are three public School Districts where your children could enroll, namely, 4J Eugene School District, Springfield School District, Bethel School District. Since you might be renting an apartment from the UO family housing at Spencer View, to enroll a new student you may submit enrollment forms and documents online or on paper. To find out where you can enroll your child, inter your address here to find your neighborhood elementary, middle, and high schools. 

Plan for Car Safety Seats

Anyone riding in a moving car in the US must wear a seat belt. Children must be secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint (safety seat or booster seat) until they are at least 6 years old or weigh at least 60 lbs. Infants under 20 lbs. must be secured in a rear facing car seat. 

UO

Care.com Membership: If you are a Graduate Employee, the university has added a new benefit for all UO employees. Graduate Employees can now register for a Care.com premium membership for free.  We hope this benefit can assist employees with their unique caregiving needs. You can learn more about the Care.com services and how to enroll at https://hr.uoregon.edu/carecom-membership. 

UO Caregiver Networks: The UO Caregiver Networks are available to UO community members looking for babysitters, nannies, tutors, elder care help or shared care opportunities.  The networks have been updated for winter term.  If you are looking for childcare help, login to your UO Office 365 account to access the Care Provider Network . Check out the university’s Caregivers webpage for more information. 

Research Opportunity: New web-based resource for parents of children (ages 2-6) with developmental delays or disability Researchers in the College of Education and the Center for Brain Injury Research and Training, are evaluating a new web-based resource for parents of children with developmental delay or disability ages 2-6 yrs. They are recruiting families for this paid research opportunity. Find out more: https://totsproject.org or email Kandyce@uoregon.edu 

Parenting Groups and Support: Hosted by Parenting Now, groups meet for either 10 or 12 weekly sessions with families who have children the same age.  A professional Parenting Educator facilitates each group and follows designed curriculum.  Find out more about these support groups by viewing the Parenting Now webpage. 

Other family related resources can be found: 

• https://earlychildhoodcares.uoregon.edu/ 
• ctl.uoregon.edu 
• https://psi.uoregon.edu/child-and-family-center 
• teamduckling.uoregon.edu hr.uoregon.edu/programs-services/work-life-resources/family-resources 
• 211info.org 
• hsolc.org/everyday-parenting 
• lanekids.org 
• resources.parentingnow.org 
• lookingglass.us 
• wellmama.help 

Financial assistance

Childcare Subsidy: Funded by student incidental fees, this subsidy provides financial assistance for childcare costs to eligible university students. For more information and applications, email subsidy@uoregon.edu or visit https://asuo.uoregon.edu/benefits. 

Graduate Assistance Fund: This program assists graduate students facing financial hardship relating to the care of a new child or medical issues.  For more information view their website: https://gradschool.uoregon.edu/current-students/assistance-fund 

Jesse M. Bell Loan: The Jesse M. Bell Graduate Loan is a short-term loan, up to 90 days, available to graduate students in satisfactory academic standing to be used in the pursuit of their graduate studies at UO.

Oregon Student Child Care Grant: The program was established to assist parents enrolled in post-secondary education obtain safe, dependable care that supports their children's development.  Students must meet low-income guidelines and based on their income; the program will pay a portion of childcare costs.  For more info: http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/child-care-grant.aspx 

The Department of Human Services Employee Related Day Care has expanded to include day care subsidies to include parents who are students and are not working.  Students in high school, a GED program, or college no longer need to work to qualify for childcare assistance. Plus, all students will receive additional childcare hours each week for study time. Additionally, many families will qualify for more childcare hours due to a change in the way part-time and full-time coverage is calculated. For an infographic describing how the Jan. 1 changed to ERDC expands opportunities for families, to start an application or find more information about ERDC go to this link: oregon.gov/dhs/assistance/child-care.

More

Visit our Grad OneStop for Families for resources related to lactation spaces, emergency funding, pregnancy accommodations, and more.

Car safety seats and seatbelts

Anyone riding in a moving care in the US must wear a seat belt. Children must be secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint (safety seat or booster seat) until they are at least 6 years old or weigh at least 60 lbs. Infants under 20 lbs. must be secured in a rear-facing car seat.

Having a baby and U.S. Citizenship

If your baby will be born in the U.S., they will be considered a U.S. citizen. U.S. laws do not require that your baby give up citizenship from your home country (if they are considered as such by the laws of your country), but your home country may not accept the dual citizenship status. Contact your home country embassy in the U.S. to register their birth and if you have questions about citizenship. Parents of a U.S. citizen child are eligible to apply for U.S. permanent resident status when the child is 21 years old. To travel and re-enter the U.S., your child will need a U.S. passport.