Options for Lactating Students & Employees
Columbia Basin College recognizes the breastfeeding needs of new mothers by providing Lactation Rooms for students and employees. Numerous studies and healthcare recommendations point to breastfeeding for the promotion of optimal infant health. However it can be a very difficult process for the postpartum professional or collegiate mother returning to work or school. The Lactation Rooms include a mini-fridge, comfortable seating and side table, sanitary supplies, and electrical outlets for breast-pumps. These secure locations provide students and employees the ability to ease back into work or school without having to sacrifice the healthy practice of expressing milk.
Location of Lactation Rooms
Pasco Campus:
Hawk Union Building (HUB/H-Building): the lactation room is located behind the student ID station outside of Student Services. Coordinator: Kelsey Myers (509) 542-4832 or kmyers@columbiabasin.edu.
Social Sciences & World Languages Building (SWL Building): the lactation room is located on the second floor in the East Wing Suite hallway. Coordinator: Amanda Aunspaugh (509) 544-4914 or aaunspaugh@columbiabasin.edu.
Richland Campus: The Lactation Room is located on the 3rd floor at the east end of the hallway in room HSC 323. Coordinator: Paula Ochoa (509) 543-8309 or pochoa@columbiabasin.edu.
Lactation Room Guidelines
- The Lactation Rooms are for use by nursing mothers only and may be used by employees and students. Registration with the appropriate coordinator (as stated above) is required for use on an ongoing basis.
- The Lactation Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis, Monday-Friday, during business hours and as scheduled, though drop-ins are allowed if the room is available. The person whose name appears on the schedule at a designated time has priority to use the room at that time.
- If you need to see when the room is available or you would like to be added to the schedule, please contact the appropriate coordinator listed above. If you use a Lactation Room, it is your responsibility to keep yourself on schedule and notify the coordinator of any changes in your schedule and/or discontinued use of the room.
- Mothers using the space are responsible for providing personal breast pumps and accessories.
- Abuse of any Lactation Room will suspend your right to use it and may result in disciplinary action as appropriate.
- It is the responsibility of everyone using the Lactation Rooms to clean up after themselves. This is not only out of respect for the next user, but to prevent contamination and illness transmission. The custodial staff will clean the rooms nightly as part of the regular cleaning schedule.
- Milk stored in the Lactation Rooms should be properly labeled with the mother’s name and date, so it is not inadvertently confused with another mother’s milk. Each person is responsible for proper storage of expressed milk. The College will not be responsible for stored milk and milk left in the refrigerator, but not retrieved within three (3) calendar days will be properly discarded.
Other Institutional Support for Employees:
Milk Expression Breaks
For CBC employees, the College allows sufficient break time for breastfeeding mothers to express milk at work. Breastfeeding employees are allowed to breastfeed or express milk during work hours using their normal break and meal times. For time that may be needed beyond the usual break times, employees may use personal leave or may make up the time as negotiated with their supervisor. Supervisors are encouraged to consider flexible schedules to accommodate an employee's needs as work demands allow. Breastfeeding support is provided up to one year after the child's birth.
A Place to Express
Use of the Richland campus Lactation Room is available for employee use with no additional options based on space limitations. Use of assigned office space dedicated for performance of the employee's work is allowable if preferred.
A number of Rooms have been identified across the Pasco campus, with the intent of having a room available for employees in close vicinity to employee workstations, though not necessarily in the same building. For employees at the Pasco campus who choose not to use the Lactation Room in the HUB or SWL, please contact Jessica Miller in the Human Resources Office for evaluation of a private location close to the employee’s work area. Jessica Miller, who is the HR Director for Talent Acquisition and Benefits, can be reached at (509) 542-5546 or jmiller@columbiabasin.edu. The room will be sanitary and have a refrigerator and electrical outlet for employee supplied breast pump. If employees prefer, they may also breastfeed or express milk in their own private offices, or in other comfortable locations agreed upon in consultation with the individual supervisor. Expressed milk can be stored in the refrigerator in the Lactation Room, a refrigerator in a temporary lactation room, or the employee’s personal cooler. Once an employee contacts the Human Resources Office, a member of the staff will coordinate assignment of a Lactation Room for use, which may depending on need, also be assigned to other lactating employee(s). Employees will also be provided a key, with payment of a key deposit, for return after the need for the room expires or in one year, whichever comes first.