Change in childcare

• Has there been a change in your childcare due to a qualifying life event such as: marriage, divorce, death, birth/adoption or change in employment? If so, this could result in a change in the amount you wish to contribute to the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (Dependent Care FSA). You may make changes to this benefit in the EBS Portal within 30 days of the occurrence through the Benefits Enrollment\Changes link. Any changes in the Dependent Care FSA become effective the first day of the month following the change(s).

• Has there been a change in your childcare provider resulting in a significant change in cost? If so, this could result in a change in the amount you wish to contribute to the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (Dependent Care FSA). You may make changes to this benefit by completing the Offline Enrollment\Change Form within 30 days of the occurrence. Any changes in the Dependent Care FSA become effective the first day of the month following the change(s).

Important Note: Please do not use Apple Preview when completing the form.

• Did you just have a baby or move to the area and are in need of childcare? The MSU WorkLife Office can help answer your questions and direct you to resources that can provide you with a list of childcare providers in your area. You may also want to consider signing up for the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (Dependent Care FSA) to help save money, on a calendar year basis, by paying for dependent care expenses in pre-tax dollars.

• Is your regular childcare provider unavailable? Is your child or dependent unable to attend childcare or school? The MSU Backup Dependent Care Program is available for MSU students, staff, and faculty. The program is designed to support parents and caregivers who are unable to take time off work or school when their child is ill or unable to attend daycare or school.

Important Note: Effective December 31, 2025, Kennedy Care’s subsidized backup care will no longer be available to MSU employees. Starting January 1, 2026, if you want to continue to use childcare services through Kennedy Care, you will need to work with them directly to explore continuing care options and pay the full costs of any agreed upon services. In order to support MSU employees in their search for child care, elder care and other types of caregiving options, MSU launched Cariloop services in November 2025. While this service does not subsidize the costs of care, it provides supportive services to MSU employees in looking for care providers that match each family’s geographical, financial and service needs across a broad range of service types.