Registration for Kids Kare at Home, a sick-child and backup child care service for the University of Michigan community, is now open.

This service is for those times when regular care is unavailable. For example, when a child needs to stay home due to illness, but the parent must be on campus or at work, a Kids Kare caregiver may be available to provide backup care in the home.

"Caring for a child has its rewards, but it also has its challenges, like when kids get sick," says Barb Mulay, manager of the Work-Life Resource Center. "It can be very stressful to care for your child while juggling schedules to handle work or school responsibilities. To help reduce this stress the university offers Kids Kare so parents have a backup care option."

To use the Kids Kare at Home program, faculty, staff and students must first register online. Parents are encouraged to register now to ensure access to the service beginning Jan. 1. Registration is free and there is no obligation to use the service.

"It can give you a little peace of mind knowing that you can access this service if you ever need it," adds Mulay. "The university supports this service to help make U-M a more flexible and open place to work and learn."

An hourly sliding-scale rate, based on total family income, will be determined upon registration. Parents who enrolled for the service in 2017 must re-register for 2018.

Register for Kids Kare at Home now to be prepared for 2018.