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Working at Cornell

Birth & Adoption

Start here if you're having a baby, adopting, or becoming a legal guardian.

What To Know

Having a baby, adopting, or becoming a legal guardian is considered a qualifying event, which allows you to make changes to your benefits*. 

Be aware of deadlines!

Please be aware that if you decide to make changes due to your recent qualifying event, some benefits have deadlines you must adhere to as follows:

Within 30 days

  • Contract College benefits-eligible employees have 30 days from the date of their qualifying event to make applicable benefit changes to their medical and dental plans.

Within 60 days

  • Endowed benefits-eligible employees have 60 days from the date of their qualifying event to make applicable benefit changes to endowed health, dental and vision plans.
  • Both Contract college and endowed benefits-eligible employees have 60 days from the date of their qualifying event to make applicable benefit changes to:
    • Flexible Spending Accounts
    • Legal Plan Insurance
    • Group Universal Life (GUL) Insurance

Read the Benefit Aids below for details, and contact HR Services and Transitions Center at 607-255-3936 with any questions.

* An employee’s benefit change(s) must be consistent with the qualifying life event that has occurred.

Checklist

  3. Other Benefits Updates

    To change beneficiary information for your life insurance and retirement plans, contact vendors directly.

Resources

  • Childcare Grant: Cornell offers a childcare grant to help families with household incomes less than $150,000 pay for childcare expenses.
  • Childcare Support: Schedule a meeting with Cornell’s Work/Life consultant to discuss your child care options. 
  • Adoption Assistance: The Adoption Assistance Program reimburses qualified employees adoption expenses up to $5,000 per adoption.
  • Lactation Support: Information about benefits coverage, lactation time away from work, lactation rooms on campus and other support is available here: Lactation Support. 
  • Parental Leave: Details and instructions on how to request Leaves of Absence; see NY Paid Family Leave and Family Leaves.
  • Parenting Workshops: Cornell provides a series of free "Preparing for Baby" workshops twice a year, open to all Cornell faculty, staff, postdocs, and students.
  • Care.com Membership: Cornell benefits-eligible employees have a free membership. Use this perk to find babysitters, help around the house, and more.
  • 10 Tips for New Cornell Parents: a helpful overview of resources at Cornell.