Birth and Adoption of a Child
Congratulations on the new addition to your family! When you welcome a child into the family, or a child becomes eligible for coverage, you can change certain benefits without waiting until the next annual open enrollment period. These life events include birth, adoption, placement for adoption or legal custody of a child (including legal guardianship).
Documents and Resources
Birth and adoption webinar
Prospective parents can gain valuable insights and practical tips during an employee webinar about leaves of absence and benefits related to birth and adoption. This comprehensive webinar offered by the Human Resources benefits team is at various times throughout the year. Discover how to navigate benefits, leaves of absence, paid time off, and the Buckeye Baby program. Get your questions answered by our knowledgeable benefits consultants and Buckeye Baby team during the Q&A session that follows the presentation. Register for a session in BuckeyeLearn.
Related Benefits, Services and Programs
You may enroll a child in your health plan via Workday within 30 days of the birth, adoption, placement for adoption or legal guardianship. You may also change to another eligible medical plan at this time. Upon enrollment, the plan covers charges from the date of the event.
Your child’s Social Security number
Your child’s Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) is requested when you enroll your child. If you have not yet obtained a Social Security number for your child, you may enroll your child and let the Office of Human Resources know when you have the number.
The easiest way to apply for a newborn’s Social Security number (SSN) is at the hospital. Remember to have both parents’ Social Security numbers handy. When the hospital representative asks you for the information needed to complete your baby’s birth certificate, tell them you want to apply for your child’s SSN. As part of Ohio’s birth registration process, the state’s vital statistics office will share your child’s information with the Social Security Administration, and the child’s Social Security card will be mailed to you.
If you don’t apply for your child’s SSN at the hospital or wish to apply for your baby’s number at a Social Security office, visit the Social Security Administration website for more information.
Verifying your child’s eligibility for benefits
After enrolling your dependent, you must verify your child’s eligibility for coverage under the Ohio State health plans. A verification packet will be mailed to your home address by Alight. Please follow the instructions in the packet and submit the required documentation via Workday prior to the due date to avoid losing your dependent’s health coverage.
You may want to consider purchasing Voluntary Group Term Life Insurance (VGTLI) for your child or changing the amount of life insurance you currently purchase for yourself (see Life Insurance). You may enroll in Workday within 30 days of the event.
Short-term disability provides income replacement after 30 calendar days and up to 90 calendar days for those enrolled and with an approved claim. Birth, adoption, legal guardianship and legal custody are opportunities to enroll in Short-Term Disability (STD).
A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) allows you to pay for eligible health care and/or dependent care expenses through pre-tax payroll deductions. You may elect to participate in or change the amount you contribute to your Health Care FSA and/or Dependent Care FSA by enrolling or changing elections in Workday within 30 days of the event.
The Ohio State University Child Care Program is available to faculty and staff dependents ages 6 weeks through kindergarten. There is usually a waiting list for placement in the program, so contact the center as early as possible.
Ohio State is committed to ensuring nursing mothers on campus are aware of lactation spaces as well as relevant workplace guidance and laws. Ohio State has and will continue to identify locations on campus that are ideal for a lactation room based on geographic location and/or future renovation projects. See more information, including a full list of lactation spaces around Ohio States’s campuses.
Ohio State’s family-friendly benefits include financial resources for adopting a child. The Ohio State University Adoption Assistance Plan reimburses eligible employees up to $5,000 per child for eligible adoption-related expenses after the adoption of a minor child is finalized. There is a lifetime maximum of two adoptions per eligible employee. If two adopting parents of the same adopted child are both eligible for adoption assistance, the total maximum benefit amount for that adoption is $5,000 and the maximum reimbursement applies jointly. For more information, see the Family Building benefits page.
Ohio State is committed to providing a work environment that is healthy, supportive and considerate of employees’ work and personal lives. The university’s work/life effort includes Family and Medical Leave, paid time off and unpaid leave. These leave options assist faculty and staff with better integration of their professional and personal lives to help employees feel productive, engaged and satisfied.
The Parental Care Guidebook provides information about all types of parental leaves (maternity, paternity, adoption and foster care). It details the medical benefits available and other benefit options. It concludes with issues specific to faculty, working schedule options for staff and a resource section.
Ohio State is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for faculty and staff who are pregnant, and ensuring pregnant workers are aware of relevant workplace guidance and laws. Ohio State will continue to provide reasonable accommodations for a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition. See more information about pregnancy related accommodations and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
To request an accommodation related to pregnancy, please:
- Inform an IAMVS Disability Program Manager (DPM) by:
- Submitting a Workplace Accommodation Requestvia HR Connection
- Faxing: (614) 688-8120
- Emailing:hr-integrateddisability@osu.edu
- Complete theEmployee Accommodation Request Form.
- Have your health care provider complete theAccommodation Request Medical Certification.
- Return the forms to IAMVS for review.
Employing Unit: If an employee makes an accommodation request related to pregnancy to a supervisor, manager, and/or HRP, the request should be forwarded to your unit’s assigned Disability Program Manager (DPM) immediately.
You may want to review your federal and state tax withholdings and make any necessary adjustments. To make changes to your current tax withholdings, visit Workday.
Adding a child to your family is a significant life change. While this is a joyful time, you may benefit from assistance with making the adjustment. The Ohio State Employee Assistance Program offers free, confidential, professional counseling and referral services through the OSU Health Plan to help you and your family with any issues that may arise. The EAP also provides numerous other resources that may be helpful during this time, including child care resources, referrals to community resources and financial counseling.
See Save for College on the Ohio Department of Higher Education website for information on education savings plans.
The Buckeye Baby program offers free support to expectant mothers enrolled in the Ohio State Faculty and Staff Health Plan. A licensed nurse works with you to answer questions and ensure you receive needed support. Additional services – including lactation and maternal nutrition support and educational programs – is confidential and complimentary. For additional information, please see OSU Health Plan’s Buckeye Baby.