Colorado's New Workplace Laws Support Nursing Mothers
Many workplaces already support female employees who are new moms wanting to breastfeed their baby. Colorado is now encouraging all workplaces to make accommodations for nursing mothers through a new law that went into effect on August 7th. Its primary goal is improving the health of mothers and children by boosting breast-feeding rates. The Colorado Workplace Accommodations for Nursing Mothers Act establishes a standard for an employer to:
- Provide reasonable unpaid break or allow employee to use paid break and/or mealtime to express breast milk for her nursing child for up to two years after the child’s birth.
- Make reasonable efforts to provide a nursing mother with a private location in close proximity to her work area (other than a toilet stall) in which to express milk
- Not discriminate against women for expressing milk in the workplace.
This year’s World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) is promoting a similar theme ~ Mother Support: Going for the Gold. In conjunction with the Olympics this August, World Breastfeeding Week 2008 calls for greater support for mothers in achieving the gold standard of infant feeding: breastfeeding exclusively for six months, and providing appropriate complementary foods with continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond.
“As every country sends its best athletes to compete at these global games, it is important to remind ourselves that, in a similar fashion, a healthy young athlete can only emerge from a healthy start on life.” Supporting Mother = Supporting Her to Provide the Golden Start For Every Child!
For more information about Colorado’s new law or supporting breast-feeding, call 247-5702, ext. 210 or check out: www.coloradobreastfeedingtaskforce.org
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