New baby: getting the birth certificate and Social Security number
The hospital birth form, requesting a Social Security number, ordering certified birth certificates, parentage forms and what to use them for.
Adding your new baby to health insurance
Your deadline to add a newborn, job plans vs Marketplace, Medicaid and CHIP, choosing a plan, and other things to update.
Family leave for a new baby: your options
FMLA job protection, who qualifies, state paid family leave, employer leave and short-term disability, pumping rights and making a leave plan.
Choosing childcare: what to look for and how to pay
Types of childcare, starting early, checking licenses and inspections, what to ask on visits, help paying, and keeping an eye on things.
Trump Accounts: which kids get the $1,000 and how to sign up
Who gets the $1,000, signing up with Form 4547, older kids, how the money is invested, when it can be used, the $250 private gift, and scams to avoid.
Choosing a pediatrician for your baby
When to choose, what to check, questions to ask at a meet and greet, well-child visits and vaccines, and help without insurance.
Starting to save for your child’s education
How 529 plans work, starting small and automatic, letting family help, the rules for using the money, and balancing with retirement.
Getting food help: how to apply for SNAP
How to apply for SNAP food benefits, what to bring, emergency benefits within 7 days, the interview, your EBT card, and other food help.
Making a will, in plain words
What a will does, what happens without one, choosing an executor and guardian, and signing it the right way.
Fixing a mistake on a birth or marriage certificate
Which office fixes birth and marriage records, what proof you need, small typos vs big changes, timing, and updating other records.