Active U.S. benefits-eligible full-time and part-time employees can access the Back-Up Care program. Interns, visiting researchers, and employees on a leave of absence are not eligible for this benefit.

Important Note: The program cannot be used for someone else's dependents.

To use the program, register and create a personal profile on the Bright Horizons Back-up Care portal. Once registered, you can request care up to 90 days in advance or on the same day. Care consultants are available 24/7 to help schedule temporary care. While care is not guaranteed, Bright Horizons strives to secure care to help resolve your unforeseen care disruptions. You'll need to provide details about your dependents, the dates and times care is needed, and your preference for a childcare center or in-home care provider.

You can utilize this program to allow you to keep working when: 

• There is an unexpected disruption in the regular care of those relying on you as a primary caregiver. 

• Your usual caregiver is ill or on vacation. 

• Your school or childcare center is temporarily closed. 

• You are traveling for work. 

• A loved one is mildly ill or recovering from surgery. 

• There are gaps between full-time caregiving arrangements.

• You require tutoring services for school-age children. 

Additionally, if you need assistance due to a medical condition or disability, you can use backup care for yourself. Whether at home or traveling for work, a backup care provider can aid with daily activities. You can also use backup care if your regular helper is unavailable or until you secure ongoing assistance. 

Type of care available

The Back-Up Care program offers center-based and in-home childcare for infants through school-age children, depending on local availability. Backup center-based care for school-age children may be limited during holidays and school closures, based on local centers.

For adults and elders, the program provides certified nursing assistants, home companions, and other trained professionals for healthy or mildly ill adults and elders. They do not need to live with you or reside in the same state but must be in the U.S. 

Caregiver quality

To ensure quality and safety, caregivers provided by the Back-Up Care program are closely monitored, evaluated, and must have the following qualifications: 

• Experience in providing care. 

• Must pass thorough screening and criminal background checks. 

• Must meet all applicable licensing/regulatory requirements for qualifications, training, and standards of care. 

• Trained in safety, supervision, and dependent care needs, including first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Costs and copays

Microsoft covers most of the program's cost; you pay a copay and tax on the benefit's value.  

• Center-based care: $4 per hour per child; 8-hour minimum per use. 

• In-person camps for children: $4 per hour per child; 8-hour minimum per use. 

• In-home care for up to 3 children on the same reservation: $8 per hour per caregiver; 4-hour minimum per use. 

• In-home adult care: $8 per hour per caregiver (for up to 3 adults); 4-hour minimum per use. 

• Virtual tutoring for dependents ages 5-18: $4 per hour per child; 8 hours of use exchanged for 4 hours of tutoring 

• Virtual camps for children: $0 copay; 8-hour minimum per use (all-day access for the same day is one use). 

Important Note: In-home back-up care has a 4-hour minimum and center-based care has an 8-hour minimum. Even if you need less time, you'll be charged a copay for the minimum hours (or more, if used), and those hours will be deducted from your annual total.

Copays are required at booking, so when making a reservation, you'll need to provide credit card, debit card, or electronic funds transfer details. A hold for the first day's copay will be placed, but the account won't be charged until the day after care is provided. Each day's copay will be charged separately (e.g., 3 consecutive days will each be individually charged). 

Quick tip! You can pay the copay using a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA). For invoice history, call (855) 500-8878 and use Bright Horizons Children’s Centers, Inc. with Federal Tax ID number 04 29 49 680 on the FSA. 

Get started

Register for the program on the Bright Horizons Back-Up Care portal. You'll need to provide details about your dependents, the dates and times care is needed, and your preference for a childcare center or in-home care provider. 

• You can schedule care up to 90 days in advance. 

• Childcare is in high demand. Although Bright Horizons will make every effort to secure care, it can be helpful to establish a relationship with an alternate sitter in case Bright Horizons cannot find care. Family Concierge can help you source caregivers to use in these situations.

• For in-home back-up care requests when someone in your household is mildly ill, care is possible if the caretaker is comfortable with the situation but not guaranteed. Please be sure to indicate the care recipient is mildly ill when requesting care or update the reservation as such if the illness occurs after you have made the reservation and note this may impact caregiver availability. 

• In-home back-up care has a 4-hour minimum and center-based care has an 8-hour minimum. Even if you need less time, you'll be charged a copay for the minimum hours (or more, if used), and those hours will be deducted from your annual total. While there is a 4-hour minimum for in-home care, reservations of 6-8 hours have a greater chance of being filled. Keep this in mind when requesting care.

• Remember if care is not secured 24 hours prior to the start of your care need, you can reach out to Bright Horizons to start the out of network care reimbursement process ($100 per day). Otherwise Bright Horizons will continue to look for care up until 4 business hours until your requested start. If no care can be secured at that point, Bright Horizons will reach out and start the out of network care process. Note: you may use HHTO instead, if that is a better fit for your situation.

• Did you know that you can exchange back-up care hours for virtual tutoring for school-aged children? To learn more, visit Virtual Tutoring with Back-Up Care.

How does back-up care work?

You will create an account in the Bright Horizons Back-Up Care portal. You will need to fill out comprehensive forms about your dependent and their needs.

Once you complete those forms, the site will ask you to select in-home care (minimum of four consecutive hours) or center-based care through one of Bright Horizon’s Network centers (minimum of eight consecutive hours).

Please visit the costs and copay section on “How it Works” for more detailed information.

What happens if Bright Horizons cannot secure care?

Should they be unable to secure care, you have the option to utilize “Out of Network Care.”

What is out of network care?

Our primary aim is to secure back-up care for you. After submitting a request in the Bright Horizons portal, they will attempt to secure a caregiver, searching up to 4 business hours before your reservation start time. If no caregiver is found, Microsoft will reimburse $100 per day for care you arrange yourself through a non-Bright Horizons caregiver. You will pay the caregiver and submit your reimbursement claim through the Bright Horizons portal within ten days of the care date. Note: This option is only valid after Bright Horizons confirms their unavailability to secure care in the portal.

Need help finding a more regular ongoing care solution or sitter? Use Family Concierge to help you find solutions tailored to your family's care needs.

Cancellations and Re-scheduling

You can cancel or change your reservation without penalty if done before 5:00 p.m. (local time) two business days prior to the care session. After that time, the session will count towards your remaining usage and any applicable copay will apply.

If you need immediate care within 24 hours, call the Back-Up Care program at (855) 500-8878. A consultant will initiate a search for care on your behalf. For more information on costs, copays, and other details, please visit the Bright Horizons Back-up Care portal.