Lactation rooms proposed for new county facilities

Co-author of the proposal alongside Supervisor Don Horsley, Supervisor David Canepa is hoping to codify practices employed by the county’s Project Development Unit as they shape plans for more than $500 million in capital improvements aimed at upgrading aging county facilities. Included among the projects are the demolition and replacement of aging medical administration buildings at the medical campus in San Mateo and a new county office building in Redwood City, as well as a new parking structure for the county government campus in Redwood City, a new Cordilleras Mental Health Facility and an upgrade to the South San Francisco Health Campus.

As a recent father, Canepa emphasized the importance of giving people privacy and space to lactate, which he expected to create a more inclusive work environment among employees and serve as a model for other jurisdictions.

“By allowing this use, it’s really making people feel comfortable,” he said. “It’s making them understand … these are amenities that are important.”

Equipped with electrical outlets, sinks with running water, refrigeration, key card access and a comfortable chair or sofa, among other amenities, the rooms will provide a critical community resource, said Canepa. A sign indicating the room’s designated use and whether an employee is nursing is also planned for the rooms, he added.

Though nursing employees will be given priority to use the rooms, they may be used for other purposes when they are not in use by those who need to lactate. Buildings requiring several rooms may be designed to include a larger room with multiple booths or partitions, according to a staff report.

With research linking the health benefits of breastfeeding and state labor laws requiring employers make reasonable efforts to give nursing employees time and a private location near their work site, San Mateo County has crafted a Worksite Lactation Program in which departments provide lactation rooms or spaces, according to a staff report.

Canepa said officials expect each room to cost between $10,000 and $20,000 for construction and furnishings, but noted the costs have been included in the budgets of projects managed by the Project Development Unit and will not result in a net additional cost to the county.

With hope the county can be a leader in creating a more inclusive work environment, Canepa looked to the resolution, if it passes, to inspire city officials and other agencies to consider incorporating lactation rooms in plans for new facilities using the county’s policies as a template.

“My hope is it encourages cities to embrace this,” he said.

Supervisors meet 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 400 County Center, Redwood City.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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