Prior to the birth of a child you should consult with Human Resources (or your supervisor) regarding parental leave policies. The Work/Life Program can assist you in locating child care, provide information on breastfeeding, community resources for special needs care, and assistance in preparing for this important life change. In addition, because the birth of a child can bring with it much adjustment some parents may be in need of supportive services to help in managing this period of change.

The birth of a child may create a need to adjust your participation in several available benefit programs and provide the university with updated personal information. You may also wish to review your federal, state and, if applicable, city tax withholding elections. The following is a checklist of issues for you to consider:

• Personal Information Update - You will need to complete and return a Change of Employee Personal Information Form in order to add a dependent or change any of these items: name, address, phone, title, marital status, emergency contact. You can also change your mailing address and/or emergency contact information by logging into FlashLine, clicking on the MyHR tab and selecting Personal Information under Employment Details.
• Medical/Dental/Vision Enrollment Changes -  If the employee is currently enrolled in one of the health plan options, the newborn child will automatically be covered under the same option for the first 30 days following birth.  However, you will need to complete and return a Change of Personal Information Form indicating that you wish to add your newborn to your medical/dental/vision plans for coverage.  A Group Insurance Enrollment Form should also be completed if you will be changing plan type for single/family coverage or if you opt-out of the medical coverage altogether. Under Internal Revenue Service regulations, you must submit this form to the Benefits Office within 31 days of the birth of your child if you wish to make any changes in your benefits.
• Flexible Spending Accounts - If you wish to enroll in a Dependent Care and/or Health Care Flexible Spending Account or if you wish to change your level of participation in one of these accounts, you must complete a new Flexible Spending Account Enrollment Form. Under Internal Revenue Service regulations, you must submit this form to the Benefits Office within 31 days of the birth of your child if you wish to make any changes.
• Life Insurance Beneficiary - If you need to change the beneficiary for the group term life insurance provided to you by Kent State University, you must complete and return a Change of Beneficiary Form. Completed forms should be sent to the Benefits Office.
• Payroll Tax Withholding - If you need to change your federal, state or local income tax withholding you should contact the Payroll Department at 330-672-2637. You can obtain most forms on the  Payroll web site.  All completed forms must be returned to the Payroll Department within 31 days of the birth of your child.
• Social Security Card -  If you have not applied for a social security number for your newborn, you will need to contact the Social Security Administration. You will need to complete a form SS-5 and return it to the Social Security Administration with certain other documents. Remember, you cannot list a child as a dependent on your income tax returns unless the child has been assigned a social security number.