Whether you’re a soon-to-be parent or just welcomed your baby home, all new parents can use a little help. To support you as you embark on this exciting — and sometimes overwhelming — journey, we’ve put together this toolkit with valuable resources. From newborn education classes and parental leave policies to UF benefits, financial planning tips, essential legal documents and more, explore the toolkit or share it with a parent you know.
Click on each category to explore available resources. Have questions about this toolkit? Contact us at worklife@hr.ufl.edu.
Update your benefits upon marriage, birth of a child, dependent eligibility changes, divorce, death, time away from work, retirement, and/or transferring or leaving state employment.
The State of Florida offers three reimbursement accounts that can provide you with a tax break on your predictable out-of-pocket costs.
The Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of leave for specific family or medical reasons without risking job loss.
Enroll your child for health care coverage within 60 calendar days of their birth date or the date of adoption. Reach out to the UF Benefits office via email at Benefits@ufl.edu or by calling (352) 392-2477.
Learn about the Paid Family Leave benefits available to Graduate Assistants.
Quickly locate lactation-friendly spots throughout UF’s main campus and beyond.
Benefits-eligible employees receive 8 weeks of paid leave over a 24-month period for qualifying events.
Learn about the parental leave benefits available to different employee categories.
Review the return-to-work checklists available for employees, supervisors and HR administrators.
Enroll your child for health care coverage within 60 calendar days of their birth date or the date of adoption. Contact the PeopleFirst Service Center via its website or by calling (866) 663-4735.
UF Early Childhood Collaboratory has three centers on campus that serve infants ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.
This policy provides support for students, faculty and staff who continue breastfeeding after returning to work following the birth of the child.
This policy aims to create a supportive working environment for employees to meet family obligations and to outline when children can appropriately be present within the UF workplace.
Explore considerations and guidance for employees working or wishing to work from a remote location.
Familiarize yourself with the University of Florida’s Paid Family Leave policy.
Title IX protects pregnant and parenting students from discrimination. Visit the UF Compliance & Ethics website to learn more.
Explore the women’s reproductive and sexual health webpage to learn about Aetna’s maternity program and postpartum support resources available to members.
Bright Expectations is the Department of Health’s website to provide resources and information on developmental disabilities for pregnant women, health care providers, parents and families.
Explore the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pregnancy webpage to learn steps to take before, during and after a pregnancy.
Part of the Florida Department of Health, visit the Florida Shots website to view your child’s immunization records, learn about vaccine needs and more.
Connect provides a one-stop entry point for various programs and services, including education and support on various topics.
Part of the Florida Department of Health, Early Steps provides free early intervention services to infants and toddlers, from birth to 36 months, with developmental delays, disabilities and at-risk conditions.
Are you planning to buy a breast pump? Read this USDA article to learn about the different ways you can find a pump at a low cost.
Explore the Florida Blue pregnancy and maternity care webpage to learn about the benefits and resources available to members.
Explore the Florida Health prenatal care webpage for county-specific resources, classes, support services and more.
Newborn screening is a state public health program that helps identify potentially debilitating and life-threatening conditions within the first weeks of an infant’s life.
Explore North Florida Hospital’s directory of obstetrics and gynecology providers.
Available to Florida Blue members, Healthy Additions helps you through every stage of your pregnancy, including the first weeks after your baby is born.
Available to GatorCare and Florida Blue members, Healthy Beginnings is a free program that supports you during your pregnancy and post-delivery journey.
North Florida Hospital has a maternal-fetal medicine doctor on staff who offers compassionate care to mothers with certain risk factors or concerns about carrying their child to full term.
The Little Miracles Program began in 2000 to improve the health of mothers and their babies in Jacksonville by focusing on early prenatal and newborn care.
Offered to all Alachua County women who give birth in the county, a registered nurse visits the family at home to see how they are doing, share information and connect them to services and resources.
A UF Health Jacksonville two-year home-visit program for new parents living in high-risk communities. Specially trained nurses provide education and support to mothers early in the pregnancy through the child’s second birthday.
Find prenatal care, labor and delivery, locations and UF Health providers available in Gainesville.
Find prenatal care, labor and delivery, locations and UF Health providers available in Jacksonville.
Read these Ask IFAS guides to learn about the numerous health benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child.
Visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to learn about government benefits and services, find answers to questions, get support for you and your baby, and more.
WIC provides the following resources at no cost to eligible Florida residents: healthy foods, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, and referrals for health care and community services.
Offered in-person by Florida Health Orange County, BBB offers classes on childbirth, car safety, breastfeeding, a boot camp for new dads and more.
UF Health Jacksonville offers a two-hour monthly virtual class on prenatal breastfeeding for expectant mothers and their support person.
Offered by UF Health, this class provides important information about the basics of breastfeeding.
Child Passenger Safety (CPS) courses educate individuals on the proper use and installation of child safety seats, booster seats and seat belts.
Offered by UF Health, this class prepares expectant parents for labor, birth, the post-partum period and caring for the newborn.
Offered to current UF Health Jacksonville patients, this monthly class covers pain management, labor, cesarean delivery and breastfeeding, and now includes tours of the labor and delivery area.
Connect provides a one-stop entry point for various programs and services, including education and support on various topics.
North Florida Hospital offers a wide range of classes (both in-person and online) designed to help expectant parents prepare for labor and delivery and the early days of newborn care at home.
A home visiting program for expectant parents and parents of newborns experiencing stressful life situations. The program empowers parents through education and community support.
Healthy Start is a free home visiting program that provides education and care coordination to pregnant women and families of children under the age of three.
The Little Miracles Program began in 2000 to improve the health of mothers and their babies in Jacksonville by focusing on early prenatal and newborn care.
Offered by UF Health Jacksonville, this is a free breastfeeding and postpartum monthly support group for new moms to learn more about the changes and challenges after childbirth.
A free program that equips parents and caregivers with the knowledge, skills and tools they need to help their children be healthy, safe and ready to succeed in school.
Read these Ask IFAS guides to learn about the numerous health benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child.
WIC provides the following resources at no cost to eligible Florida residents: healthy foods, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, and referrals for health care and community services.
Tune in as a Fidelity financial expert discusses education savings options, including the most recent 529 plan features and updates. Recorded 2024.
The Early Learning Coalition provides financial assistance for child care and school readiness to children of eligible Florida residents. Explore the ELC directory to find one near your area.
This workshop will help you estimate the costs of education and identify ways to pay for schooling. Tax-advantaged savings vehicles, including information on Florida-sponsored plans, will be explored, as well as various types of financial aid as a means to cover expenses. Recorded 2025.
Fidelity’s 529 plan offers a flexible, tax-advantaged way to save and pay for your children’s qualified education expenses.
Florida Prepaid and the Florida Investment 529 Plans offer affordable ways to save for your child’s future college expenses, and convenient payroll deductions make saving even easier.
SNAP provides nutritional support for low-income seniors, people with disabilities living on fixed incomes, and other individuals and families with low incomes.
Whether you’re hoping to improve your money management skills, optimize time spent with loved ones or lose weight sensibly, UF/IFAS Extension provides expert science-based guidance.
From on-demand webinars to financial calculators and more, visit the Get Prepared financial planning section of the Worklife website for even more resources.
Visit the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics for information on how to apply for your child’s birth certificate.
From medical power of attorneys to living wills and more, learn about the legal documents you should have in place as a caregiver.
Visit the U.S. Department of State website for instructions on how to apply for your child’s passport.
Visit the Social Security Administration website to learn how to apply for your child’s Social Security number and card.
UF faculty and staff can sign up for a free subscription to Calm Health, a mindfulness app that helps manage stress, anxiety and insomnia. Available to the first 5,000 employees.
Explore available resources to help College of Medicine employees develop and maintain their well-being.
The UF Employee Assistance Program, or EAP, provides you with the support you need to navigate life’s challenges.
Wellness offerings designed for GatorCare insurance plan participants; many are offered to all UF and UF Health employees.
In an attempt to normalize grief and share some valuable information and resources, this on-demand workshop tackles grief and how to cope with loss.
UF and UF Health experts lead these recorded guided meditation sessions, which are roughly 10 minutes in length and aim to provide a sense of calm and overall well-being.
This Calm Health program will help you understand and cope with the difficult, and sometimes conflicting, feelings that can surface during pregnancy and in your baby’s first year.
Explore a variety of mindfulness resources from guided meditation sessions to relaxation strategies, workshops, wellness presentations and more.
Explore department-specific EAP programs available to eligible employees.
Our Resilience and Emotional Well-being Toolkit provides resources to support individuals in navigating some of life’s most common challenges.
This Calm Health program helps you navigate pregnancy loss with more ease, from managing feelings of disappointment to honoring your grief and letting go of guilt.
Talkspace provides free and unlimited online counseling and psychiatry services to GatorCare members (including dependents and spouses) ages 18+.
Explore wellness programs and resources available to UF Health Central Florida employees.
Employee Wellness in Jacksonville offers a variety of programs that encourage employee well-being.
Explore guided meditation and breath work audio and video resources of varying lengths, all created for you by our talented team of Artists in Residence and Integrative Therapy Practitioners.
Whether you’re hoping to improve your money management skills, optimize time spent with loved ones or lose weight sensibly, UF/IFAS Extension provides expert science-based guidance.
Build healthier habits to lose weight and get free virtual coaching through a free six-month subscription to the WeightWatchers app, available to the first 1,000 UF faculty and staff who sign up.
Visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to learn about government benefits and services, find answers to questions, get support for you and your baby, and more.
Explore a variety of programs, toolkits and other resources designed to support the well-being of faculty and staff at the University of Florida.
Explore the Get Healthy section of the Worklife at UF website for a variety of wellness resources available to UF employees.
Explore the Get Support section of the Worklife at UF website for a variety of resources available to UF employees.
Aims to empower families and build a thriving community where every child can succeed. Explore pre- and post-adoption resources.
Explore post-adoption support services available to families who live in Florida.
Explore resources from legal information to tax credits, post-adoption services and more.
Explore NCA education webinars and online resources for adoptive parents.
Find the contact information for the Florida State Adoption Assistance Program along with adoption resources.
The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless. 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten encourages you to read books with your newborn, infant, and toddler.
Explore the Alachua County Library District events, appropriate for kids ages 0 to 11 years.
The Alachua County Library has a variety of sensory toys for babies and toddlers available for checkout for up to 14 days.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five.
Explore the Alachua County Library’s Early Literacy webpage for resources for babies and preschoolers.
Explore the Harn Museum of Art’s programs, events and resources for families.
Visit the Healthy Start website to explore free resources available to soon-to-be parents.
Save at various businesses and retailers with the GatorPerks program, which provides exclusive discounts for UF faculty and staff.
Also known as Bump 2 Baby Expos, these fairs bring together state, local, and county agencies and businesses to provide parents with must-have resources, health information and more.
NDBN connects and supports the country’s more than 240 community-based diaper banks that collect, store and distribute free diapers to struggling families.
Join the Sant Fe Teaching Zoo and the Alachua County Library for stories about all kinds of animals and other friendly creatures. The program is free and accessible to all.
Join Florida Museum nature ambassadors for a safe and interactive nature walk on Tot Tuesdays. Appropriate for ages two to five years.
