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
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 analysts and Buckeye Baby team during the Q&A session that follows the presentation. Register for a session in BuckeyeLearn.
Related Benefits, Services and Programs
Manage Benefits in Workday
Benefits elections can be managed in Workday within 30-days of your life event. For details on how to elect or change benefits, review the Selecting and Managing Benefit Elections job aid in the Administrative Resource Center.
Kiosks for online enrollment are available in the 3rd floor lobby of the Office of Human Resources located at 1590 North High St., Suite 300. Walk-in hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Computers available to Office of Administration and Planning CWA staff are in the following locations:
- Aronoff Laboratory, 318 West 12th Ave., Rooms 014, 016 and 109
- Maintenance Building, 2000 Tuttle Park Place, Rooms 201, 204B and 027
Computers available to University Hospital East faculty and staff are in the following locations:
- University Hospital East Café – 1 kiosk computer
- University Hospital East Medical Staff Library – 12 computers
Check with your supervisor or human resources contact for availability of shared computing resources in your area.
Enroll with Paper Forms
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 eligible health care expenses incurred from the date of the event. Documentation of legal guardianship is required.
Your child’s Social Security number
Your child’s Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) is requested when you enroll your child. If you have not yet obtained an SSN 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 SSN is at the hospital.
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.
Dependent Eligibility Verification
Following enrollment, you must verify dependent 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 prior to the due date. Failure to provide complete documentation will result in coverage termination for any dependent(s) not verified.
For newborn dependents less than three months of age hospital-issued birth certificates are accepted. This document must be issued by the hospital on the hospital’s letterhead, include the child’s name, date of birth and list the participant as the parent.
For additional information about the Dependent Eligibility Verification process and documentation please visit the Dependent Eligibility Verification website.
If an extension is required, you must contact Alight directly at (866) 638-4756 to request an extension before the verification deadline.
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 or a spouse (see Life Insurance). Birth, adoption or legal guardianship allows employees who are not currently at the benefit maximum to elect or increase VGTLI spouse up to $50,000 or employee coverage by one salary increment with no EOI required. 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 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.
Please note, you are not permitted to contribute to a Dependent Care FSA during a continuous leave of absence exceeding 30 days. When placed on a leave exceeding 30-days Dependent Care FSA enrollment will be automatically terminated, and (if desired) you must re-enroll in a Dependent Care FSA within 30 days of your return from leave. If you participate in a Health Care FSA, it will remain available during your leave for the remainder of the plan year and if contributions are missed due to being on an unpaid leave they will be collected upon your return from leave.
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.
The Ohio State University Adoption Assistance Plan reimburses eligible employees a combined lifetime maximum of adoption/surrogacy benefit of $10,000 per employee/family for eligible adoption-related expenses after the adoption of a minor child is finalized. If two adopting parents of the same adopted child are both eligible for adoption assistance, the total maximum benefit amount for that adoption is $10,000 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 the Employee Accommodation Request Form.
- Have your health care provider complete the Accommodation 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 reference the Manage Tax Withholding Elections job aid in the Administrative Resources Center (ARC) and complete any changes in Workday.
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.