NYC Lawmakers Want To Make Life Easier For Moms

NEW YORK, NY — New York City lawmakers want to force the city government and private businesses to make it easier for parents to care for their kids. City Council members proposed a package of 10 bills on Mother's Day that would provide resources for moms and dads ranging from breastfeeding rooms to discounted child care.

"Every child in this city deserves to live the best life possible, and we as a City Council are working to do everything we can to make that a reality," said Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo (D-Brooklyn), who's a sponsor of seven of the bills.

Three of the bills aim to expand access to lactation rooms, which are dedicated spaces for new moms to breastfeed.

One would force every private employer with at least 15 workers to provide lactation spaces and refrigerators to store breast milk. Another would require employers to create policies outlining what accommodations they offer for breastfeeding and how employees can access them.

A third bill would force the city to offer lactation rooms in schools, police precincts and jails that accept visitors and house female inmates. The city already offers more than 30 lactation spaces around the five boroughs.

Two bills would make it easier politicians and public employees to afford child care. One would allow political candidates to use campaign funds to pay for child care, as the Federal Election Commission recently allowed that a mother of two who's running for Congress on Long Island.

Another bill would require the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to run a study of the feasibility of offering discounted child care for city employees that could include a one-year pilot program.

Other proposed bills would require the city to provide free diapers at certain social services buildings; allow inmates in city jails to choose the gender of their doctor; report more details about unlicensed child care centers and maternal mortality; and assess the accessibility of doulas to pregnant people around the city.

"They say that it takes a village to raise a child, but sadly we all too often fall short when it comes to supporting parents and caregivers," Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea) said in a statement. "This groundbreaking 'Mother’s Day Legislative Package' will help provide New York City families with the support they need."

(Lead image: Photo from Shutterstock)