Family Life at The University of Notre Dame

Healthy Indiana Plan

2010-03-29T10:51:00.001-04:00

EDIT: Due to the passage of the new health care bill, Governor Mitch Daniels has announced the cancellation of this plan entirely. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094104575144362968408640.html

Old Post: Good news for grad school families: Indiana is offering low-cost health insurance for low-income adults (under $40,000 for families of four). The only catch is that the adult must be uninsured for 6 months prior to signing up and can not have insurance available to them by their employer. Any premiums that families pay for Hoosier Healthwise for children are deducted from the parents' premiums. Hoosier Healthwise for children and pregnant women remain the same.

One unfortunate detail that was recently brought to my attention is that a pregnant woman on Hoosier Healthwise is not eligible for HIP, but Hoosier Healthwise only covers pregnancy in the case of an adult woman. I do not know whether being on Hoosier Healthwise counts as coverage that would make a woman ineligible for HIP for 6 months after she delivers, but I will get that figured out soon.

Applications became available in December 2007, and they can be printed off at http://www.in.gov/fssa/hip/

WIC provides healthier options in 2009!

2009-10-13T10:45:00.005-04:00

http://www.in.gov/isdh/19691.htm

Women, Infants, and Children provides nutritional support to children under 5 and pregnant or nursing women. South Bend and Mishawaka have 3 locations. This is one of the many ways that many grad school families squeak by. Generally, clients only have to go to the office every quarter to pick up WIC checks.

If you think you'll be signing up for WIC, call and make an appointment as soon as you arrive. They will schedule you for a few weeks later. They will tell you what to bring to your first appointment, but commonly they ask for ID, proof of residence, and proof of income. Some visits, you will be required to bring your children. Since part of their mission is to protect children from lead poisoning, they will test clients' blood iron levels from time to time, and they will commonly do a lead test in a child's second year.

Like many benefit programs, this involves some hassle in the beginning, but it provides tremendous help to families trying to survive financially. The food options changed in Oct 2009, with many more healthy options included. Traditional WIC items like milk, cheese, eggs, juice, and cereal are still included, although the juice and cheese allotments have been decreased.

New items include canned beans, whole grain tortillas, brown rice, whole grain bread, and fresh fruits and vegetables for nursing or pregnant mothers and for children age 1 through their 5th birthday. Infants can receive formula, infant cereal, and jarred baby food, with breastfed children receiving twice as much cereal and jarred food as formula-fed children.

The WIC office also provides free pregnancy testing and BABE Coupons.

For a month, a nursing mom can get
$10 in fresh fruits/veggies
5.5 gallons of milk
2 lbs of cheese
1 lb of dry beans or 64oz of canned, and/or 18 oz peanut butter
3 cans juice concentrate
2 doz eggs
30 oz canned fish
16 oz tortillas, bread or rice

a preschooler can get
$6 in fresh fruits/veggies
3.5 gallons milk
1 lb cheese
2 lb whole grain tortillas, bread, or rice
2 64 containers of juice
1 lb of dry beans or 64oz of canned, and/or 18 oz peanut butter
1 doz eggs

a nursing infant on solids can get
3 boxes of baby cereal
30 jars of baby food meats
64 jars of baby fruits and veggies
(baby food will be reduced if child is receiving formula)

The closest WIC office to campus is at 325 N Lafayette Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601 (574) 647-2100

Child Care waiting lists and Magnet Schools for '10-'11

2009-08-08T14:20:00.008-04:00

For anyone considering a program at Notre Dame next year, the fall will be spent filling out paperwork. Let me add a bit to the pile. If you have kids who will require school or child care, you might want to research those options now. Yes, you will be able to arrive and find a day care or enroll your child in the local public school with little notice, but some options that many ND families utilize will take some time and planning.

South Bend Community School Corporation certainly gets its share of criticism, and many ND families who are able to afford it pay for private education. Another option for those who do not wish for their children to attend neighborhood schools is to enroll them in SBCSC's magnet programs. This process begins in November or December with filling out an online form on the corporation's website. I can only attest to my family's experience with the magnet program and admissions process, so please consult http://www.sbcsc.k12.in.us/ in making decisions for your family. In filling out the form online, the parents may only request one magnet program per child, so you can not apply for Kennedy and Marquette Montessori for the same child.

Kennedy Primary Academy is the state's highest performing elementary school. We filled out the online form in December, received a packet of forms and went for testing in January, submitted forms regarding our son's academic ability, etc., and received an offer for admission in March.

Some families bring their children to the Academies for testing before they are certain of their own admission to a graduate program since the graduate school does not notify until March. This is a good idea if you are concerned about your neighborhood school and don't want to wait until the second year of a program to get them into a magnet program.

Other magnet programs include LaSalle Intermediate (grades 5-8), Marquette Montessori (age 3 through grade 4), specialized academies at the various high schools (e.g. business, medicine, science, arts), and elementary and intermediate schools with the same curriculum as neighborhood schools but with uniforms and required parental involvement (known as Traditional Schools).

We requested a spot for our second son at Marquette Montessori, a new program in SBCSC, but he was wait listed. The easiest time to enter this program would be when the child is three and every spot is open. Our son is four, and most of the children his age would be returning. Everything worked out fine for us because we had also enrolled him in ECDC-ND five mornings per week.

If you are interested in the programs at ECDC-ND or ECDC at Saint Mary's College, you may need to get your child on the waiting list, especially if the child will be two at the time of enrollment. In the spring you will be able to register using forms that you can print or email from their website http://www.nd.edu/~ecdcnd/. Registration will require a $35fee, but only if your child actually gets a spot. ECDC-ND has a sliding fee scale, and ECDC-SMC does not, but its fees are about what a family making $30K-$60K would pay at the ND campus. ECDC-SMC does not have a program for 2-year-olds. Three-year-olds and older are usually easier to get into these programs because they can be in more than one classroom, and they have larger student-to-teacher ratios.

This is a lot of information, but I've heard a lot of people express a desire to have known about magnet applications and child care wait lists before they came to campus. BTW, welcome to the newbies who are arriving now!

Praise for ND's MBA Program's Family-Friendliness

2009-08-07T19:57:00.004-04:00

Even though my husband has just finished his Ph.D. and not an MBA, I still feel a bit of pride when I read this article touting ND's Mendoza School of Business and its efforts toward accommodating families. Life under the dome is good!

http://www.gradview.com/articles/graduatestudies/child_care.html

Barter Board at University Village

2009-06-04T19:34:00.003-04:00

For anyone considering University Village as a place to live, I wanted to draw attention to our Barter Board. It is a place for residents to buy/sell/trade goods and services. Furniture, household goods, and baby items are listed. Contact the University Village office if you would like to be included; however, you must be accepted to live in UV in order to be included on the Barter Board. Non-residents will not be approved.

Increased Funding of Graduate School Health Insurance

2009-03-04T16:12:00.011-05:00

New and returning graduate students (not including law or business students) have an excellent opportunity to get affordable healthcare coverage through the University's plan for the '09-'10 school year. The coverage for spouses and families is still rather expensive, but the plan a great deal for the graduate student. Eligible spouses and children would still find Hoosier Healthwise and Healthy Indiana Plan to be far more affordable.

Here's text from the email that came from Dr. Greg Sterling, dean of the Graduate School:

"I am writing to inform you of the new premium rates for health insurance. As you know, the University has made a concerted effort over a period of several years to improve our support of graduate student health insurance premiums. We are going to be able to make a significant step forward this year thanks to the work and support of a number of people.

We are changing vendors to Aetna Student Health. This is the result of the hard work of a University-wide committee over a two-year span. We will now have a more competitive rate. The annual rates are below.

Student $1,239
Spouse $3,098
Each Child $1,859
All Children $2,416
Spouse and All Children $5,514

You will note that the rates for next year will be lower in every category than the current rates. We owe the committee a hearty thank you for their dedicated work. The committee members were Jill Bodensteiner (General Counsel), Kara Finch (Procurement Services), Trent Grocock (Finance), Ann Kleva (Health Services), Connie Morrow (Health Services), David Moss (Student Affairs), Denise Murphy (Human Resources), and Sue Vissage (the Graduate School).

The other piece of good news is that we are going to raise our subvention percentage from 50% to 70% for fully funded students. This means that the University will pay $867 of the $1239 premium for a fully funded student. This only leaves $372 for the student portion.
During the current year, students have to pay $734. This is a savings of $362 per year or a little more than $30 per month. We are indebted to Tom Burish and Chris Maziar for their commitment to and support of graduate students.

We will continue to work on our rates and subvention. In the meantime, I am especially pleased that we are able to offer such good news in the current economic climate."

I am really happy to see this increased subsidy of the student's health insurance coverage, and I can't imagine that you could find anything comparable that is more affordable. As always, let me know if you have questions about private policies for spouses & dependents, Hoosier Healthwise, or HIP by emailing me at ndmomma@gmail.com . I'm due to have baby #3 any day now, so it might take me longer than usual to get back to questions.

Holistic Moms Network

2008-09-04T11:20:00.005-04:00

A local mom who recently found this blog contacted me regarding the Holistic Moms Network. She is a St. Mary's faculty spouse and would like to see more Notre Dame community members involved in the local chapter.

She would like families to know that "we have a thriving local chapter of the Holisitic Mom's Network, which includes playgroups, hikes, a book group, moms' night out, monthly meetings, local and national email loops, and more. It's a great way to meet other families in the area, and get advice on all kinds of family and child-raising issues." Thanks, Claire!

http://sbendin.holisticmoms.org is the web address for the South Bend chapter.

University Resources for Graduate Students

2008-06-19T23:09:00.007-04:00

This link leads to a chart on Notre Dame's website that directs grad students to specific contact people who work for Student Affairs and who serve graduate students as departmental liasons.

These are names that I hear often in my job for the university, so this list is a great resource for graduate school families. Departments on this list include ResLife, ISSA, Student Activities (shout out to Peggy who reads this and who also looks out for the Village, thank you!), Campus Ministry, and University Health and Counseling Centers.

http://studentaffairs.nd.edu/special-for-graduate-students/department-contact/

Television in the South Bend area

2008-06-03T19:17:00.005-04:00

With the upcoming switch to digital television signals, you might be unsure what equipment is needed to get a television signal in the South Bend area. By calling 1-888-DTV-2009 or visiting https://www.dtv2009.gov, you can get a $40 voucher toward a digital converter box. Best Buy has its Insignia brand in stock (right near the door), and the net cost is $20 after the voucher.

In South Bend, you will likely need an antenna to attach to the converter box. The set-up and programming take a few minutes. This equipment was tested in a University Village basement apartment (a hard place to get a good signal), and 12 local channels came in nearly perfectly, and any problems were fixed by adjusting the antenna. Those who have missed the local PBS analog signal will be pleased to hear that the converter box and antenna will receive 2 PBS channels.

Comcast's basic cable package gets a digital signal, so it will work after the switch in February. If you opt to live in University Village, you will receive Comcast programming for free (part of rent)as of July 25.

Spouse ID Cards

2008-01-20T13:07:00.000-05:00

http://www.gsu.nd.edu/?q=node/35

The above link will lead you to information about obtaining a spouse ID that will allow student spouses access to:

Student Activity events such as Pep Rallies
Student-only events at Legends
Rec Sports facility entry
Libraries
Domer Dollars & meal plans

This is a very positive change because student spouses formerly had to get different cards for each of these types of venues, or they would have to carry a government-issued ID and a copy of their marriage license to get access to these privileges. The above link provides further information and a printable form to submit in order to be approved for a spouse ID. The ID will be distributed in South Dining Hall, where students also get their ID cards.

International Student Services & Activities of Notre Dame

2008-01-17T19:11:00.000-05:00

Here's a link to a website that is especially helpful for international students. Their handbook may benefit many US student families as well as international families.

http://issa.nd.edu/

Home
Programs and Services
Immigration
Arrival and Orientation
Departure
Immigration Related Links
News and Events

Free Tax Preparation

2008-01-09T15:52:00.003-05:00

Here is the link to the IRS free-file site. Later this month they will post a list of the various tax software makers whose products you can use for free if you make less than $54,000 per year. You must get to the software through the IRS website in order to use the free-file option. If you wish to have all of your information duplicated for your state taxes, you will have to pay a small fee. I have used this free-file program for the last 4 years and have found both the Turbo-Tax and H&R Block options very helpful.
http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118986,00.html

Notre Dame's College of Business also offers tax preparation assistance to US citizens and greencard holders and to international students, faculty, researchers, and scholars. http://business.nd.edu/Accountancy/Tax_Assistance_Program/

Have Some Knowledge to Share?

2007-08-14T08:18:00.001-04:00

Here's my invitation to others who know a lot about family life in the Notre Dame area. If you're interested in blogging here about arts events, food co-ops (for free-range chicken eggs, raw milk, and organic produce, etc.), restaurants, religious congregations, fitness centers, and anything else that ND families would find helpful, e-mail me at ndmomma@gmail.com. You'll need a Blogger or Gmail account to sign in, and I reserve the right to editorial discretion.

Great Family & Kids Activities Site!

2007-07-26T16:40:00.001-04:00

http://www.michianafamilymagazine.com/ has a great new site by a parent who wanted to see a central listing for kid-friendly activities in the area. It is full of great listings in the following categories:

Animals & Nature
Announcements
Arts & Crafts
Camps
Celebrations
Educational
Entertainment
Faith Based
Festivals & Fairs
Holiday & Seasonal
Music
Sports, Fitness & Health
Storytimes

Definitely check it out!

Fun in the Park

2007-07-18T10:58:00.001-04:00

The City of South Bend's Parks & Recreation Dept. maintains a very helpful website at http://www.sbpark.org/. The site has a link to their Activity Guide in PDF form. The guide provides information about park locations, features, facilities, and program costs. South Bend parks provide free lunches to children 18 & under for most of the summer. A list of parks is at http://sbpark.org/parks/parks.htm, and a list of parks that provide lunch is on page 12 of the activity guide http://sbpark.org/info/documents/summer2007update.pdf. The same list also shows which parks have special children's events. South Bend's parks also include an ice rink at Howard Park, the Potowatomi Zoo (which offers season passes for about $55 for a family), several pools and sprinkler pads, and a skate park.

Mishawaka's Parks and Recreation Department's website is at http://www.mishawakacity.com/parksandrecreations.asp. Mishawaka Parks offer swimming (at resident and non-resident rates), snow tubing, golf, and frisbee golf.

St. Joseph County Parks website is at http://www.sjcparks.org/. St. Patrick's County Park is closest to campus. It is the location of many music and cultural events. In the winter it offers tubing and cross-country skiing. It has nice playground areas, canoe rentals, and great hiking trails.

Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty, IN
http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2972.htm

Here is a list of park features from the website:
Picnicking/Shelters
Bicycle Trail and bike rental
Bridle Trails
Cabins
Cross-country Skiing / No Ski Rental
Fishing / Ice Fishing / Fishing Pier
Fish Cleaning Station
Hiking Trails
Playground Equipment
Canoe, Paddleboat, Rowboat Rental
Recreation Building
Swimming / Beach
Tubing Hill
Wildlife Observation Area

Logan Center - Programs for the Disabled

2007-07-10T22:40:00.000-04:00

"LOGAN is committed to supporting people with disabilities in achieving their desired quality of life. Through our commitment to this mission, we help individuals and our community come together to Discover the Potential in each and every one of us."

My experience with Logan Center was completely positive. One of my children needed occupational therapy, and Logan Center's Building Blocks program sent a case manager, a nutritionist, and an occupational therapist to our apartment. We really became attached to these people who did so much for our child. Hoosier Healthwise covered all of the services as long as our pediatrician signed off on them, and Logan Center maintained good communication with our him about our child's progress.

Logan Center's Regional Autism Center seeks to:

Reach out to families with resources and information
Assist families with individualized plan for their loved one
Promote public awareness and increase understanding
Keep abreast of current research
Link families to those who can help
Provide training and facilitate networking for professionals, students, and families

www.logancenter.org

Clothing for Children

2007-05-14T12:55:00.001-04:00

Clothing can be obtained at the following locations for free, cheap, or with vouchers:
B.A.B.E. 239-2223
Christ Child Society 288-6028 (requires a referral from WIC or other agency, call for details
St. Margaret’s House 234-7795
St. Vincent DePaul Society 234-6211
Women’s Care Center 234-0363

Consignment stores offer gently used clothing, gear, and toys for babies and children. The South Bend area has several.

Once Upon a Child- Grape Rd. Indian Ridge Plaza (574) 247-1099
This is a chain of consignment stores that are clean, well-stocked, and well-lit. The selection is nice. This store is probably a little pricier than the other consignment stores, but I always find what I'm looking for.

Kids Consignment- Town & Country Shopping Center, Hickory & McKinley
This store's inventory varies dramatically. The prices are high for the quality, in my opinion. The staff is not particularly helpful, and the store smells like smoke. Some Maternity clothes are available.

Regular retail stores in the Grape rd. area have good sales. The Children's Place and Target have great clearance sales on a regular basis, and both sell good quality clothing.

Pregnancy Testing

2007-05-14T12:40:00.000-04:00

Women's Care Center offers free pregnancy testing and proof of pregnancy at several locations. www.womenscarecenter.org

WIC offices now also provide free pregnancy testing and proof of pregnancy.

Women seeking to have pregnancy coverage with Hoosier Healthwise will need a form that verifies pregnancy.

The South Bend Tribune

2007-05-09T22:03:00.000-04:00

The award-winning local paper provides sales ads, coupons, and fun ideas for families along with the news. WIC clients can get 7-day delivery for $1 per week by picking up a form in the WIC office.

Grocery Shopping

2007-05-09T21:10:00.002-04:00

Sorry, no Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or Costco. I know, it's sad. However, we do manage to eat.

Here's a link to a great .pdf that was put together by some recent grads of Notre Dame. It includes the locations of many international markets and "Local, Thrifty, and Fair Trade Places to Shop for Food and Clothing". Thanks, Walsh's!

Kroger, a national chain, has a few stores in the area. Not much to write home about. They do post their ads online, so I check in when I can't find milk on sale. They have great milk sales.

Martin's, a local chain where I had my first job as a teenager, has nice gourmet selections and great bakery, produce, and meat departments. I find it cost-prohibitive to do all my shopping there, but I do like to shop there for a few quick items since it's near campus.

Meijer, a regional chain, has a wide selection of items including some good international items. Their produce section offers a wide variety, and the quality is generally good. The fresh meat is not particularly good. The chain is offering a wider selection of organic products.

With 3 Supercenters within 10 minutes of campus, Walmart is ubiquitous. The produce is second rate at best. Same for meat and bakery.

Aldi stocks some good staple items under their own label, but many of their products are highly processed. Come prepared with a quarter to get a cart (you'll get it back) and with bags to carry your groceries.

Harmony Market and Garden Patch provide a nice selection of supplements and organic and natural foods. Both are in the Grape Road area. Bamber's Superette near the Farmer's Market stocks many hard-to-find items.

Sam's Club, part of the Walmart corporation, sells bulk quantities of many common items. I'm there almost every week to buy diapers, baking items, frozen fruit, and canned veggies. Yearly membership is about $35.

Indiana Health Center

2007-05-08T08:40:00.000-04:00

Indiana Health Center at 1901 Western Ave. in South Bend provides health and dental care on a sliding fee scale. Patients do not need to be US citizens. They do ask for income documentation, and those who are not employed will need to bring proof from the WorkOne office.

Natural Family Planning

2007-05-08T08:38:00.000-04:00

Support and education for NFP are available at this address near St. Joseph Hospital:

410 N Notre Dame Ave
South Bend, IN 46617
(574) 237-7401

BABE Store

2007-05-07T09:51:00.000-04:00

The BABE Store offers new or gently used baby items such as beds, highchairs, car seats, diapers, and clothing. Money is not accepted; payment is made in the form of BABE coupons, which parents receive from prenatal visits, well-child visits, immunizations, WIC appointments, Logan Center therapies, Parents as Teachers activities, La Leche meetings, and Women's Care Center visits. Coupons are valid for one year.

http://www.qualityoflife.org/BABE/

K-12 Schools

2007-05-06T16:27:00.002-04:00

South Bend Community School Corporation
635 South Main Street
South Bend, Indiana 46601-2295
Phone: 574-283-8000
http://www.sbcsc.k12.in.us/
-Some schools offer English as a Second Language programs
-Kennedy Primary School and LaSalle Intermediate require entrance testing in January. The applications for a spot in the testing are available in December.
- Tarkington Primary and Marquette Montessori programs also require an application in December.
-South Bend high schools offer magnet programs in various concentrations

School City of Mishawaka
1402 South Main Street
Mishawaka, Indiana 46544-5297
Phone: 574-254-4537
http://www.mishawaka.k12.in.us/

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation
55900 Bittersweet Road
Mishawaka, Indiana 46544-5297
Phone: 574-259-7941
http://www.phm.k12.in.us/

Catholic Schools- Diocese of Fort Wayne/South Bend
http://diocesefwsb.org/

South Bend Community Hebrew School
http://www.thejewishfed.org/community/index.htm

South Bend Hebrew Day School- note the area code is out-of-date, and the # is now (574) 255-3351
http://indiana.schooltree.org/private/South-Bend-Hebrew-Day-008497.html

The Rabbi Naftali Riff Yeshiva School
http://www.ou.org/education/schools/in-rnr.htm

Stanley Clark http://www.stanleyclark.org/

Trinity at Greenlawn http://www.trinityschools.org/

ACSI Christian Schools http://www.acsi.org/web2003/default.aspx?ID=1630

Indiana's Home School Tip Sheet defines the legal responsibilities of home educators and the means of obtaining an accredited diploma as a homeschool student. http://www.doe.state.in.us/sservices/homed.htm

Check out http://www.doe.state.in.us/ for statistics on public and private education.

Exploring Childcare Options

2007-05-06T16:17:00.000-04:00

A good place to start looking for child care is the state website: www.in.gov/fssa/carefinder/ or a local childcare finder http://www.4csindiana.org/

Listed here are a few daycares and preschools that I've heard praise for from friends:

ECDC is a highly-recommended, on-campus daycare at St. Mary's and Notre Dame that provides care for children ages 2 through kindergarten. Since there is a waiting list, it is recommended that families contact ECDC as soon as they matriculate. For more information, consult http://hr.nd.edu/worklife/ecdc.shtml

Building Blocks Preschool, part of Logan Center, provides educational services for developmentally disabled children. http://www.logancenter.org/Services_BuildingBlocks.cfm

Growing Kids 17475 State Road 23 South Bend, Indiana 46635 Phone: 574-273-9048 http://www.growingkids.com

Friends 53062 Nadine Street South Bend, Indiana 46637 Phone: 574-273-1377 http://www.friendsdaycare.com/

Heat Assistance through Real Services

2007-05-06T15:56:00.001-04:00

REALSERVICES.ORG

Eligibility for Real Services Energy Assistance is determined by household income and family size. Non-employed adults must provide proof of their status from WorkOne. Real Services will provide a one-time credit (as opposed to a monthly benefit) to the applicant's utility account. The application must be renewed each year. To begin the application process, call Real Services at 574-232-6501.

note for 2009: It seems that everyone will need a quarterly wage history from the Work One office. Take your ID and Social Security card.

WorkOne

2007-05-06T15:45:00.001-04:00

http://www.gotoworkone.com/home/index.asp?page=1

Some services require proof of income to qualify. The St. Joseph County WorkOne office can provide proof of income (known as a Wage History) on a walk-in basis using a photo ID and a Social Security Card. It is located at 851 Marietta St. South Bend, which can be rather hard to find. Mapquest has useful directions for this location.

Health Care Coverage

2007-05-06T12:55:00.001-04:00

Health care in the US is always expensive, and for graduate students at Notre Dame, having health insurance for the student is not optional. Graduate and international students are automatically billed for the student health plan unless they provide proof of alternate insurance.

Some departments require their graduate students to sign up for the school's plan, some departments subsidize the cost, and some departments do neither. Those whose departments do neither have the option of signing up for private insurance, which can be less expensive, but may also not cover as many services. The Graduate Student Union announced a subsidization for the student health plan for the '08-'09 school year, making it somewhat cheaper than last year. Information about the student health plan is available at:
http://uhs.nd.edu/html/MegaLife.htm

The state of Indiana provides free or low-cost healthcare to children with US citizenship and to pregnant women with US citizenship through their Hoosier Healthwise Medicaid program. Anyone interested in this plan should contact the Family and Social Services Administration office. The FSSA will need a lot of documentation (ID, proof of residence, utility and rent statements, birth certificates, SSNs, and bank statements) every six months, but many families find this program very helpful.

Some families have a hard time getting the Hoosier Healthwise pediatrician or primary care physician they want, particularly if they will only live in-state during the school year. This is common, and unfortunately the system is not built for families who will be in state 9 months of the year and out of the state during the summer. Those who leave the state for internships will likely be dropped from the program, lose their doctor, and will have to reapply.

The address for the closest office to campus is:
2004 Ironwood Circle, Suite 160
South Bend, IN 46635-1885
Telephone Number: (574) 247-2670
Fax: (574) 247-2679
http://www.state.in.us/fssa/

Health care insurance through the state of Indiana is now available for low-income adult US citizens residing in Indiana at http://www.in.gov/fssa/hip/. Applicants can expect to pay a small monthly premium, must be without insurance for 6 months prior to applying, and must not have insurance provided by their employers. Children and pregnant women will apply for the Hoosier Healthwise program.

Indiana Health Center at 1901 Western Ave. in South Bend provides low-cost health and dental care on a sliding fee scale. Patients do not need to be US citizens. They do ask for income documentation, and those who are not employed will need to bring proof from the WorkOne office.

By way of example, I will share how we have solved the health care issue in our family. My spouse and I have a major medical private insurance plan that costs about $2000/yr. Our children qualify for Hoosier Healthwise, which covers everything their pediatrician agrees to, and we've had nothing denied. In case of pregnancy, I can qualify to have Hoosier Healthwise cover just the pregnancy. In case of illness, my husband can go to the student health center, and I can go to Indiana Health Center. This works for us because we're all healthy, and it certainly won't work for everyone. We have the private insurance in case of catastrophic illness or injury, not for routine care. If we do have a major medical incident, our usual tax refund is about the same as our deductible, so we won't be financially devastated.

University Village Complex

2007-05-05T19:46:00.003-04:00

The UV website is newly updated. http://www.nd.edu/~unduv/

The Village has been my family's home for the last four years, and we will continue to live here for another year or two. It is located on the far northwest side of campus, and it is a 10 to 15-minute walk to to campus. Village Complex families are from all over the US and the world. Married couples without children may live in Cripe St. apartments or University Village buildings A & B. Married couples with children and single parents may live in University Villages buildings C-M.

Kids love the fenced-in, football field-sized playground in the warmer months and the playroom in the community center in the winter. We have garden plots to grow vegetables and herbs in the summer and to spend time with neighbors. Residents can donate and pick up gently used items in our clothing exchange.

We celebrate many occasions with outdoor picnics or parties in the Beichner Community Center. The Community Center is also the location for holiday parties, story time, cooking classes, and for English as a Second Language classes. Weekly Rosary, Adoration, and Mass are also observed there.

What I have valued most are the friendships I have formed during my time in the Village. The families support each other in many practical ways. For example, neighbors often bring meals for families with new babies. We have several friends with whom we have playdates and tea in our building. We swap childcare with friends when we need a night out. As a first-time mom with a little baby when I came to the Village, I learned a lot about parenting from other parents.

Some drawbacks are that the space is small, and the units are aging, but the University is very responsive to maintenance concerns. Noise bothers some people, but I can't imagine that any place with lots of kids under 5 would ever be quiet! As for the size of my apartment (500 sq ft for a family with 1-2 children; 1000 sq ft for a family of 3+ children, with increased rent), the small space keeps life simple. We found it more than sufficient for our needs until we were expecting our 3rd child.

Rent is $515 a month for 09-10 with Comcast cable, wired and wireless campus internet service, and local phone service included. There is no charge for garbage or water, and rent and phone service are billed through the Office of Student Accounts. Campus security makes regular patrols of the area throughout the day and night, and the city bus system operates a free shuttle that connects the Village to St. Mary's College and Notre Dame. The exterior doors lock and require a passcode in the evening.

Storage is a concern for some who come to the Village. The kitchen is small, but I have a LOT of cooking gear in mine, and I find places for all of it. There are roomy cabinets above the washer and dryer, and a hallway closet faces the washer and dryer. The larger bedroom has a smaller closet, and the smaller bedroom has a larger closet; fortunately, all of the closets go to the ceiling, so the shelf above each clothing rack is pretty roomy. Each unit has a storage closet out in the common hallway. Any "1" unit, as in "J-1" is a first-floor apartment with a much larger storage unit that goes under the stairs. Storage can only be crammed so far, so I would recommend leaving some things back home if possible, or giving away the stuff you don't really need before you come.

Another benefit to living in the Village is that no lease is required. MBA and Law School families usually have to leave for the summer for internships, and they can choose to move out to save money or to continue to pay rent for their Village apartment. Those who move out can generally get their same apartment the next year.

I would recommend putting the children into the larger bedroom of a single unit if they are fairly active. Before we moved to a double apartment during my pregnancy with our daughter, our two sons had the larger bedroom, and we didn't really see many toys in the living room. We had a queen-sized bed and two tall, narrow dressers in our bedroom, and we found it quite comfortable. Double apartments are available on a limited basis to those who have 3 or more children, and this includes being pregnant for the 3rd child. There are currently 8 double units.