How do I get a spot at a UCSF child care center?
Please note that while students receive top enrollment priority at the UCSF centers, the centers do have a wait pool. Please visit the Wait Pool Registration page for more information. The $75 wait pool registration fee entitles you to apply to all four UCSF child care centers, in addition to as many non-UCSF Bright Horizons centers as you wish. Note: at non-UCSF Bright Horizons sites, you will not receive UCSF-specific priority and will be subject to community tuition rates.
Do UC/UCSF or San Francisco provide child care scholarships/financial assistance to students?
The UC system offers child care reimbursement to eligible Academic Student Employees (ASEs) and eligible Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs). In addition, the UCSF Graduate Division provides a child care reimbursement program for eligible non-represented PhD students. To learn more about child care reimbursement, visit the Graduate Division Website.
The UCSF/Bright Horizons student scholarship program provides need-based tuition discounts of approximately $400-$1500 per year to eligible student families enrolled in a UCSF child care center. Enrolled student families are notified by the center administration annually and are invited to apply for the scholarship. Please contact your Center Site Director for details.
Student families might qualify for the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood’s Early Learning for All (ELFA). This program helps income-eligible S. F. families with children 0-5 years old pay for care at ELFA network child care facilities, such as the UCSF child care centers. Visit SFDEC to learn about Early Learning for All’s income requirements, application process, network child care facilities, and more. Note: due to high demand and limited funding, ELFA eligibility does not guarantee immediate assistance.
If the UCSF child care centers aren't right for me, does UCSF refer to other services?
There are also child care resource and referral agencies in the general community that assist families seeking care, in addition to administering various subsidy programs that help families pay for care. The two San Francisco-based child care resource and referral agencies are Children’s Council of S.F. and Wu Yee Children’s Services.
Learn more about accessing child care.
