Baptist Health System has joined a growing number of cutting-edge Texas businesses by becoming designated as a Mother-Friendly Worksite. Among the many benefits of the Mother-Friendly Worksite Program are increased employee morale, greater productivity, and the improved health of the employee’s child.
Created by the Texas Legislature in 1995 and administered by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the Mother-Friendly Worksite Program recognizes companies and institutions that provide for new mothers returning to work and desiring to continue breastfeed. To be designated as a Mother-Friendly Worksite, businesses and institutions must provide work scheduled flexibility to allow time for pumping breast milk or nursing infants, offer a private space where the employee can either pump or nurse, and ensure easy access to clean running water and refrigeration.
To become Mother-Friendly, a business or institution must develop a policy reflecting its support for its breastfeeding employees and then submit an application to DSHS.
A sampling of Texas companies that are designated as Mother-Friendly Worksites include: Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, Dallas; Duke Energy, Houston; Electronic Data Systems, Plano; Gulf & Basco Company, Sherman; Huntsman Corp. and IBM Corp, Austin; Pizza hut, Inc., Dallas; Daingerfield-Lone Star Independent School District, Daingerfield; and Southern Warehouse Corp., Houston. Also designated are hospitals, state agencies and numerous city, county, and state health facilities.
“We want our employees who are new mothers to know that we support their decision to continue breastfeeding,” said Jana Stonestreet, Chief Nursing Excecutive for Baptist Health System. “We are extremely pleased to be designated as a Mother-Friendly Worksite.”
For more information on the Mother-Friendly Worksite Program, contact the Department of State Health Services at 512-458-7111 or www.dshs.state.tx.us.
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