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Pepperdine | Community

Child Care Resources

At Pepperdine, we are honored to walk alongside our working parents at every milestone of their family journey. Whether you’re preparing for your first child or welcoming another, we understand the importance of balancing your calling at home with your calling at work. Guided by our Christian mission and deep respect for the dignity of every individual, we aim to provide an environment of support, compassion, and flexibility. Through resources such as child-care assistance, connections to local care providers, and virtual tools to help keep children engaged, we strive to ensure that parents can grow in their careers while flourishing in family life.

Financial Assistance

Pepperdine recognizes that finding affordable, reliable child care is one of the greatest challenges working parents face. We’re dedicated to helping our employees manage this important part of their family life through access to tools and resources that simplify the search for quality care.

  Child Care Subsidy Grant

To help ease the financial burden of child care, the University provides a Child Care Subsidy Grant for eligible faculty and staff.

  • A mid-year grant is available to new hires, rehires, and transfers as well as employees who have recently gained an eligible dependent through birth, adoption, foster placement, legal guardianship, or court order.
  • An annual grant is available to all eligible employees through an annual application and review process during the fall for funding in the next calendar year.

Both programs provide funding of up to $5,000 a year to employees with dependent children ages 12 and under.

  Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

You can use a Dependent Care FSA to cover daycare expenses for a child who is age 12 or younger, including in-home care that allows you to work at home. Contributions to a Dependent Care FSA are made on a pre-tax basis through convenient payroll deductions. The FSA can cover preschool tuition, day camp, and before- and after-school care. You cannot use the FSA to pay for kindergarten or private school tuition for a child age 5 and older. Online educational programs and private tutoring are also not eligible expenses under IRS rules for Dependent Care FSA accounts.

 

School and Program Locations

While Human Resources does not endorse any schools or programs, our goal is to connect employees with resources and information to simplify the process of finding child care. Parents should research their options to make the best choices for their family.

  Local Schools and Programs

Human Resources has put together a list of local care centers in the Southern California area to help employees explore nearby options.

  KinderCare Centers

Pepperdine has partnered with KinderCare Learning Companies to provide all employees and students with a 10% tuition discount on child care costs when utilizing a KinderCare Center. This benefit supports families with children from 6 weeks to 12 years old. KinderCare has provided a brief 6-minute webinar for the Pepperdine community to learn more.

Find a KinderCare Center

 

  Our Lady of Malibu

Faculty and staff are eligible for a 50% tuition discount at Our Lady of Malibu located less than a mile from Pepperdine’s Malibu campus. Review OLM’s flyer for more information on this generous benefit.

  Health Advocate

Health Advocate is a cost-free resource available to assist employees with locating child care in several ways:

  • Personalized research and referrals: Employees can contact Health Advocate to receive customized lists of child care providers in their area based on their specific needs—such as location, hours, cost, and type of care (e.g., daycare centers, in-home care, or after-school programs).
  • Verified resources: Health Advocate’s specialists can help identify licensed and accredited providers to ensure safety and quality standards are met.
  • Availability and waitlist assistance: They can check which centers currently have openings or provide guidance on joining waitlists.
  • Cost and subsidy information: Health Advocate can share information on average costs, payment options, and any applicable child care assistance programs or tax benefits.
  • Support for special needs: If a child has special requirements, Health Advocate can help find providers with the right training or resources to accommodate them.

Visit myhealthadvocate.pepperdine.edu or call 866.799.2728 for assistance.

 

Tutoring

While Human Resources does not endorse tutoring programs, we do monitor available programs and tutoring options in the greater Los Angeles area. Please view a list of tutoring resources here.

Employees may also employ Pepperdine students for tutoring services. To learn more, please contact Student Employment at student.employment@pepperdine.edu.

Fun for Everyone

Human Resources has curated a mix of fun, educational, and interactive resources to keep children engaged while at home. From virtual museum tours and art activities to fitness and nature videos, there’s something for every age to enjoy.

Pepperdine Center for the Arts also offers free performances to over 5,000 schoolchildren each year, providing an opportunity for students to see a wide variety of professional artists, such as musicians, dancers, and theatre artists through their ARTSReach program.