Childcare Fund & Adoption Subsidy

The Childcare Fund and Adoption Subsidy is a need-based program that helps SHARE members with the costs of childcare or adoption incurred during the calendar year. SHARE negotiated with UMass Chan Medical School in 1999 to help SHARE members defray the costs of childcare and provide financial assistance to those with adoption cost. 

Eligibility

  • Be a SHARE union-eligible staff member at UMass Chan with at least three months of service.

  • Have a child or children, aged 0 – 12 (up to the child’s 13th birthday), or be expecting a child, who will be in the care of either (1) a licensed childcare center, family provider, after-school program, summer camp, or vacation camp or (2) an in-home provider with a social security or tax ID number (we are required to have record of this number).

  • Have childcare costs incurred during working/traveling hours.

Eligible Expenses Childcare and Adoption

  • The types of childcare that are eligible include things such as: licensed daycare of family provider, nannies or in-home care (with a SSN or Taxpayer ID), after-school programs, daytime summer camps or snow camps.

  • The Adoption Subsidy can only be used for expenses directly related to the legal adoption of a child.

Awards

The awards are determined based on your household income and the number of people living in your household. Childcare awards cover only a portion of the childcare costs for each applicant, between 20-40% of your total childcare cost. This portion may vary somewhat from year to year, depending on the number of applicants in any given year. All eligible applicants who apply on time will receive an award.

The maximum adoption subsidy is $5,000 per applicant.

How to Apply

You need to complete two steps in order to apply for the Childcare Fund:

  • Fill out the Childcare Fund Application (below)

  • Provide us with the first page of your most recent 1040 federal tax return form. Your child/children must be listed as a dependent on this form (unless your child is not yet born). Those who are married and file separately, please provide both tax return forms.

The Childcare Fund has open enrollment every April and October. Those who apply in April do not need to reapply in the Fall. We will also accept Childcare Fund applications on a rolling basis, as funds allow. The adoption subsidy accepts applications on a rolling basis and are evaluated case-by-case.