Parental Resources

Eliot-Pearson Children's School: preschool (age 2.9 years and up) through second grade education. Part-time preschool, flexible days, modified school calendar. Apply in September the year before you wish to enroll your child.

For toddler and infant care, Tufts families have 10 priority access slots at four Bright Horizons centers. Contact Bright Horizons for availability and cost.

Bright Horizons at Teele Square: preschool (age 2.9 years and up) through Kindergarten. Full-time, 5-day-per-week coverage, limited holidays. Tufts part-time and full-time employees and students receive priority admission. Apply in September the year before you wish to enroll your child.

Any nursing person who is a member of the Tufts community (faculty, staff, students, and visitors) can use the lactation rooms provided in various locations around our campuses. The Tufts Office of Equal Opportunity has resources for nursing and maintains a list of Tufts lactation rooms.

Arrange for an ad-hoc space

If none of the dedicated spaces meets your needs, you can arrange to use an ad-hoc space elsewhere on campus. Please contact Amin Fahimi Moghadam, OEO Accommodations Specialist in the Office of Equal Opportunity, 617-627-6363. He will identify a space for you to use and arrange for you to get access to it when you need it.

AS&E matriculated master’s students may access a parental leave in SIS. Please see below for the policy and instructions on applying for this leave.

AS&E matriculated PhD students may be eligible to access both a parental leave in SIS as well as a parental accommodation. Please see below for the policy and instructions on applying for this leave.

Parental Leave

All AS&E matriculated graduate students may apply for parental leave for one semester for the birth or adoption of a child under the following conditions:

• Leave must begin within one year of the child’s birth
• Leave must begin within one year after child enters the home
• You will be the child’s primary caregiver during the time of the leave

If granted, parental leave will not count toward your time to degree. You can make arrangements to maintain access to university services while on leave.

International students should discuss this type of leave with the International Center to ensure that practical training privileges after graduation would not be jeopardized. Please note that practical training requires you to be a full-time student for one academic year preceding Optional Practical Training.

International Students: Please note that all medical and non-medical leaves of absence must also be coordinated with the International Center.

To request a parental leave, please apply online via the Tufts Student Information System (SIS).

Parental Accommodation for AS&E PhD Students

Full-time AS&E PhD students may be eligible for a 12-week parental accommodation for new parents (this accommodation is in addition to the parental leave detailed above). GSAS PhD students interested in either the paid or unpaid parental accommodation should complete the parental accommodation inquiry form at least 90 days in advance of the expected leave. SOE PhD students should contact enggradstudies@tufts.edu. Learn more about the parental accommodation and eligibility for AS&E PhD students.