Students With Child(ren)

Students who are also parents have some unique challenges, many of which are related to maintaining family health and well-being. The Students With Children website, offered by the Office of the Dean of Students, is Cornell's primary source for information about services and resources related to parenting while you are a student at Cornell.

We also encourage you to review the Family-Related Support information provided by the Cornell Office of Human Resources.

New York State agencies and departments have many resources available to help working families make ends meet. The Governor's Resources Page for Working Families is a one stop shop for finding those services, with links to information about nutrition programs, tax filing assistance, job placement services, and more.

Additionally, local resources related to health care coverage for children are listed below.

Services for spouses and/or same-sex partners and children

Gannett offers medical services for your spouse or same-sex partner. If you have children, we recommend that you identify a pediatrician in the area to be their primary care provider. Our staff can help you locate a pediatrician in Ithaca.  

Finding a Pediatrician

A list of physicians is available at the Cornell Office of Student Health Insurance and in the Yellow Pages of the  Ithaca phone book. You may also wish to consult the pediatricians noted in Cayuga Medical Center's list of medical providers.

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Health resources for women and children

The Tompkins County Heath Department provides several services for women and children including: 

• Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program: provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, and referrals to community services for low-income pregnant and post-partum women, and their children who are under five years of age. Breastfeeding support also is available.  Call 607 274-6644 for more information.
• Immunization Clinics: Children ages six weeks to 18 years may receive at no charge, routine childhood immunizations: DPT(diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis), Polio, Hib (Haemophilus influenza type B), Hepatitis B, Influenza, MMR, (measles, mumps, reubella), Pneumococcal Prevnar, Td (tetanus, diphtheria), varicella (chickenpox). Call 607-274-6644 for clinic dates and locations.
• Medicaid Obstetrical and Maternal Services(MOMS): Women and teens who are pregnant and do not have insurance that will cover the full cost of their pregnancy, and who meet certain income guidelines can receive complete medical care during pregnancy, delivery, and for at least two months after delivery. The program provides assistance in obtaining a physician, accessing Medicaid, WIC and other community services and programs. You may be eligible even if you have health insurance. Call 607 274-6622 for more information.
• Children with Special Care Needs (CSCN):  It is the goal of CSCN to ensure family access to comprehensive, appropriate, family-centered, community-based services which focus on the child's individual needs related to physical disabilities or developmental delays. Call 607-274-6644 for information.

New York State Special Health Coverage

• NY State's Health Care Coverage for Uninsured Children and Teens
  New York State provides health insurance to children through Medicaid and Child Health Plus. In order to be eligible for enrollment, a child must be under the age of 19, a resident of the State of New York, and a U.S. citizen. Whether a child qualifies for Child Health Plus or Medicaid depends on family income. Children who are not eligible for Medicaid can enroll in Child Health Plus if they don't have other health insurance and are not eligible for coverage under the public employees' state health benefits plan.
  
  A child born in the U.S. (regardless of the parents' immigration status) is considered a U.S. citizen and may be eligible for this program. However, eligibility criteria for children born elsewhere are more complicated. The majority of Cornell's international students and their dependents are here on non-immigrant visas (e,g, "F" or "J") and therefore not eligible for Medicaid and Child Health Plus unless they are in the process of applying for permanent resident status.
  
  Because eligibility is complex, we encourage you to call the Mothers and Babies Agency directly in order to understand more fully how this program may (or may not) be of service to your family: 1-800-231-0744
  
• NY State's Health Care Coverage for Uninsured Adults
  Family Health Plus is New York State's public health insurance program for adults age 19-64 who do not have health insurance coverage either on their own or through their employer, but have incomes or resources too high to qualify for Medicaid.  Family Health Plus is available to single adults, couples without children, and parents with limited income who are residents of New York State, and are U.S. citizens or fall under certain immigration categories.  (The majority of Cornell's international students are here on non-immigrant visas (e.g., "F" or "J") and therefore are not eligible for Family Health Plus.) 
  
  Family Health Plus provides comprehensive coverage, including prevention, primary care, hospitalization, prescriptions and other services. There are minimal co-payments for some Family Health Plus services. Health care is provided through participating managed care plans in your area.
  
  Because eligibility is complex, we encourage you to call the Mothers and Babies Agency at 1-800-231-0744 or the Tompkins County Department of Social Services at 607-274-5252 in order to understand more fully how this program may (or may not) be of service to you or others in your family.