Work/Life Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How do I find housing in Boston area?
  2. I am Harvard paid and benefits eligible tenured or tenure-track faculty. What childcare resources are available to me?
  3. I am Harvard paid and benefits eligible non-tenure track faculty, postdoc, or staff. What childcare resources are available to me?
  4. I am an incoming faculty or postdoc and I am not sure which institution my pay and benefits will be coming from. How do I get started looking for childcare?
  5. I am a student at HMS, HSDM, or SPH. What childcare resources are available to me?
  6. I am a GSAS student on the Harvard Longwood Campus. What resources are available to me?
  7. I need summer and school vacation coverage. What are my options?
  8. What are the fitness/athletic facilities in the area?
  9. Where can I get assistance with setting up a will or a trust?
  10. Is there a notary public on campus?

1. How do I find housing in Boston area?

Buying:

    • *Harvard’s Employee Assistance Program: 877-327-4278.  EAP provides consultations and referrals for first time home buying, legal assistance with real estate purchase and sale, apartment searches, and home cleaning and moving services.
    • Harvard University Housing (HUH) offers a broad range of housing and real estate services to the University’s graduate students, faculty, and employees.
    • Home Buying & Selling Benefits: Learn about Harvard’s Real Estate Advantage Program (REAP), which includes assistance finding an agent, free seminars, preferred mortgage lenders and cash back program.

Off campus rentals:

On Campus rentals:

    • Harvard University Housing (HUH) offers a broad range of housing and real estate services to the University’s graduate students, faculty, and employees.
    • Housing Resources including Longwood area resources and as well as two great resources produced by the city government of Boston.

Short term accommodations (2 weeks – 3 months):

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2. I am Harvard paid and benefits eligible tenured or tenure-track faculty. What childcare resources are available to me?

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3. I am Harvard paid and benefits eligible non-tenure track faculty, postdoc, or staff. What childcare resources are available to me?

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4. I am an incoming faculty or postdoc and I am not sure which institution my pay and benefits will be coming from. How do I get started looking for childcare?

  • Explore childcare resources listed above with an understanding that your eligibility will be confirmed once your hiring paperwork is processed.  Contact your other institutions’ Human Resources Office or Faculty Affairs Office about available childcare benefits.
  • Contact Jennifer Weininger at worklife@hsph.harvard.edu or 617-432-1048 for individual consultation.

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5. I am a student at HMS, HSDM, or SPH. What childcare resources are available to me?

  • Longwood Medical Area Child Care Center LMACCC 395 Longwood Avenue,Boston MA 02115 LMACCC Website  Director: Kelly Quinn-Wilson Email: kquinn@masco.harvard.edu
  • Bright Horizons Family Center at Landmark At Bright Horizons®, 401 Park Drive , 4th Floor, Boston MA 02215Bright Horizons Website Director: Winnie Bordman Email: Bordman@brighthorizons.com
  • Sharing a nanny/babysitter: You can post a listing on Harvard’s Child Care Bulletin Board to ask if others are looking to share a babysitter to help share costs: http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k13666&pageid=icb.page61800 (HarvardKey protected)
  • *NEW* Harvard’s WATCH portal-student babysitting: Harvard has a new family-supporting service available exclusively to members of the Harvard community: It’s a HarvardKey protected babysitting website, and we’re calling it Web Access to Care at Harvard, or the WATCH portal. The WATCH portal links Harvard parents – faculty, staff and students – to Harvard students, both undergraduate and graduate, who want to babysit. In addition, Harvard employees and students are able to sponsor high-school and college students who are members of their families to be babysitters.
  • Graduate student parents list: There is an active Harvard Graduate Students Parents List. See https://lists.hcs.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/parentsgroup-list on how to register.
  • Harvard Students’ Spouses and Partners Association: This volunteer group is set up to connect partners of Harvard affiliates (not just students) and includes playgroups, local trips, and social gatherings: http://www.hsspa.harvard.edu/
  • Reach out to your school’s Office for Student Services.

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6. I am a GSAS student on the Harvard Longwood Campus. What resources are available to me?

  • You can find family resources, student community information, student/academic support, culture & recreation resources and health & wellness resources by going to the Student Life Resources page found here. For specific topic information, click on the links beneath the categories.

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7. I need summer and school vacation coverage. What are my options?

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8. What are the fitness/athletic facilities in the area?

Longwood Medical Area:

Cambridge Campus:

9. Where can I get assistance with setting up a will or a trust?

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10. Is there a notary public on campus?

Visit Harvard Longwood Campus Branch of Harvard University Employee Credit Union in Kresge Building, Room 108, 677 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115 Phone: (617) 495-4460. Open weekdays 9am – 4pm, closed Saturday and Sunday.

*Harvard paid and benefits eligible faculty, postocs and staff are eligible for Harvard’s Employee Assistance Program.

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