Los Angeles County, Department of Health Services, Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Programs (2005)

The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office has a long history of family-friendly workplace policies. All new parents, including fathers, mothers, foster and adoptive parents can take up to four months to bond with their child. Before women go on maternity leave, a personnel coordinator conducts an exit interview to review the Office’s breastfeeding and family leave policies. The Office created a Mother’s Lounge for breastfeeding mothers and offers job-sharing and flex-and part-time work options. The Mother’s Lounge has two spaces separated by a partition. Each space includes an electrical outlet, two chairs, and a table. The Lounge also includes a refrigerator exclusively for breast milk, masking tape and pen for labeling bottles, informational posters and flyers, and a bulletin board on the wall. For privacy, the Lounge also uses an “in use, please knock” sign on the door. Onsite daycare is also available for employees. “Having the Mothers’ Lounge in our office is wonderful. I used the room three times a day when I came back to work, and kept breastfeeding for nine months,” said Martha, Senior Legal Clerk.