In 2021, Postdocs won a new type of financial support for parents and caregivers in our contract in the form of the Postdoc Caregiver Fund. The total amount of the fund for 2026 is $75,000. Winning this fund was possible because of our collective action, participation, and union membership. If you’re not a union member yet, please sign up to make sure we can keep this fund and increase the amount in the future!
Please start your enrollment by filling out the intake form. This will direct you to the enrollment form. Please make sure you fill out both forms! There are two enrollment periods each year, one in the Spring (Jan 1 – Jun 30) and one in the Fall (Jul 1 – Dec 31). You need to fill out the forms each enrollment period to receive a payment, even if you’ve enrolled before. If you’re expecting a child (or to become a caregiver) during the enrollment period, you are eligible for a prorated amount within that period. The deadline to submit responses is 5pm, March 27th for Spring and September 26th for Fall each year.
The goal of this fund is to distribute meaningful assistance to Postdocs with the most need. The enrollment questions will allow us to distribute these funds equitably. If you have any questions, or want to join the working group, please email the Family Friendly workgroup at familyfriendly@uaw4121.org.
Eligibility: You must (1) have been a UW Postdoc during the enrollment period, and (2) have an active UW appointment as of the payment date: payments are made by May 25th for Spring or November 25th for Fall. Please email the working group if you’re not sure about your eligibility status.
Payment amounts: amounts given will be need-based, and final amounts will be determined after all responses are collected. The payment amounts for each eligible Postdoc will be weighted based on the sum of credits for each Postdoc, below.
Credits: (add all credits for each eligible Postdoc):
Each postdoc caregiver: 0.5 credits per month of employment during the 6-month enrollment period
Single caregiver status: 0.5 credit
Additional credit per dependent based on age:
- < 1 year: 1
- 1-3 years: 0.9
- 3-4 years: 0.73
- 5 years: 0.25
- 6+ years: no additional credits
Income: credit scaled between 0 and 1 based on all responses
Additional Resources for Parents/Caregivers:
University of Washington: Employee Assistance Program & Childcare Resources
City of Seattle: Childcare Assistance Program
King County: Childcare Assistance Program
Washington State: Paid Family & Medical Leave (note: reach out to the working group at familyfriendly@uaw4121.org if you’re on a fellowship, which may affect whether you are eligible for PFML)
NIH: NIH Childcare Allowance