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AUGUST 2023

Get expert parenting support

Raising a child is a rewarding, exhausting, joyous and, often, challenging experience. And in recent years, the challenges have become particularly difficult. From pandemic-related educational setbacks and social isolation, to bullying on social media, kids today are dealing with stressors their parents could have never imagined. In today’s world, social media can be fun for learning and games but, it’s always “on”. Not only does it open up risk for inappropriate content being shared, it opens your kids up for sharing information with strangers.

Whether your child is anxious about returning to school, struggling with a learning disability or dealing with a serious mental health condition, there’s good news. You don’t have to face these challenges alone. As a Costco employee, you can access expert care, resources and information — much of it at no cost to you — through your Costco benefits.

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parent and child supported in art activity

Even when life is going smoothly, make sure you’re familiar with the benefits Costco provides for your family’s emotional well-being. Know where to turn when challenges arise and access a wide array of webinars, videos and articles designed to help you better manage the many challenges of parenting.

Check out these resources for parents and kids

Resources For Living^® (RFL^®)*, your enhanced Employee Assistance Program (EAP), is the place to start when you or your child needs mental health support or help with everyday challenges. RFL offers you and the members of your household free, 24/7 access to mental health resources, including:

Talkspace, confidential, on-demand chat therapy with a licensed therapist. Counseling sessions can be by phone, video or on-demand chat. You decide what works best for you. After your sixth no-cost session, you can continue to use Talkspace under your medical plan, with a copay.
Referrals to Brightline**, which offers convenient virtual support to help children and teens navigate stress, anxiety, conflict and more. See below for more information on Brightline.

RFL also gives you access to:

Interactive self-care programs
A library of informative articles, podcasts and webinars
Help finding in-network providers who are accepting new patients
Referrals to community resources
Many work-life support services, such as help finding child care or legal services

Brightline** is a virtual one-stop shop for pediatric behavioral health and family support. With Brightline, as of January 1, 2024, families of children under 18, including newborns, can access health coaches and digital resources to support challenges such as sleep concerns, ADHD, depression and behavioral issues. Therapy and counseling sessions are also available for children age 6 to 18 years.

Brightline’s mental health experts can provide you and your child with:

Fast access to personalized, trustworthy support (no long waitlists!)
Video visits with therapists and coaches from the comfort of your home
A one-stop digital platform to manage care and schedule video visits
Resources that include sessions to help you better help your kids

RethinkCare gives you access to virtual consultations with parenting experts. It also includes online training courses to help you learn how to help your child set healthy boundaries, be optimistic, practice self-compassion and self-advocacy, set goals and solve problems, become more resilient, and more.

For more support raising happy, healthy kids:

Tune in to RethinkCare’s Behaviorally Speaking podcast for tips from parenting experts on topics like Emotional Intelligence, Resiliency and Growth Mindset, and Stress Management for kids and teens.
Help set your child up for success in the new year school by checking out this webinar about Helping Kids Strengthen their Social Skills, available on-demand to fit your busy schedule.
New! Your RethinkCare benefit now offers courses that focus on boosting your child’s executive functioning skills, including attention, focus, organization, time management and impulse control. These skills are critical to helping children grow up to be successful in school, work and relationships, improve their ability to solve problems, get along with others, make safe and healthy decisions, and more.

This year, as your child returns to the classroom, remember that if challenges arise, your Costco benefits are there to support you. All you have to do is use them.

*Resources For Living is available to all employees and members of their household, including children up to age 26 living away from home.
**Brightline is available to Mainland employees and their dependents who are covered by an Aetna^® medical plan through Costco. It’s not available in Hawaii or Puerto Rico.