Your Partner. Spouse. Children.
Whoever comes with you to Harvard Kennedy School, know one important thing: they are welcome here.
The HKS community becomes an even more dynamic place when our students' families accompany them to Cambridge. As a school, we will work to support you by providing the resources you need to make the balancing act more manageable.
Coming to HKS With Children
Care.com Backup Care
Care.com provides certified back-up child care if your permanent child care provider is temporarily unavailable. You can use the agency’s services up to 10 days each academic year and pay only 50 percent of the caregiver's hourly rate; the remaining half is subsidized by HKS. The Care.com membership and referral fees are covered by HKS as well.
Child Care@Harvard
Child Care@Harvard provides resources to Harvard students who are parents. In addition to listing different child care options in the Boston and Cambridge areas, information is also available on back-up care and babysitters, schools and after-school programs, camps and school vacation programs, and parenting support networks.
Harvard International Office (HIO)
HIO is an important university-wide resource for international students and scholars who come to Harvard with their partners, spouses, and families. The office provides information about resources, groups, child care, schooling, and family visas.
HKS and Harvard Online Resources
One of the best resources we have is each other.
The HKS Student-Parent listserv is a platform for students with children to connect with each other, organize events, and share information on child care, pediatricians, preschools and other schools, and local kid-friendly activities. The Harvard University Graduate Student-Parent listserv is another network for Harvard graduate students who are parents to share information, organize outings, or swap or sell items. Additionally, the VP for Families representative on the Kennedy School Student Government is another way for students and their families to connect with one another.
Lactation Rooms
Private, safe, and secure lactation rooms are available to HKS students who are nursing on the ground floor of the Littauer Building (3 rooms) and Taubman Building (1). Additionally, HKS students can locate lactation rooms at One Brattle Square (1) and 124 Mt Auburn Street (2). The seven rooms in Harvard Kennedy School buildings form part of a system of over 50 formal lactation rooms across the University.
For access, you can register through Harvard University’s Office of Work/Life: HUID holder registration and Visitor Registration. Once you complete a registration form, you will receive an automated confirmation email followed by a personalized instruction email. Your access and Roombook account will be set up on the same business day where possible.