Today's New York Times has a front-page article discussing Sarah Palin's combination of political career and motherhood, describing how she regularly carried her son Trig in a sling to hearings and nursed him while signing bills and performing other official tasks.  Palin is hardly the first government official to bring her babies to work, though--the Democratic Governer of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius, who was reportedly on the short list for Barack Obama’s running mate, took her two infant sons to the office earlier in her career.  Governor Sebelius was actually responsible for starting a babies-at-work program in a Kansas agency that has now been adopted by more than 20 other Kansas agencies.  

This variation on integrating work and family has drawn heated discussion in recent days, particularly related to how bringing a baby to work isn't an option available to most Americans. But the Parenting in the Workplace Institute is working to change that. The Institute is launching a "pilot program" initiative to actively start more formal programs in which parents can bring their babies to work every day for approximately the first six months of life (or until crawling, whichever comes first). The first company we helped to set up a structured program, HometownQuotes, has been thrilled with the results--see their press release and the first article discussing their program (more media coverage is expected in the coming days).

The Institute's work is based on the experiences of more than 102 confirmed organizations that welcome babies in the workplace. More than 1,300 babies have successfully come to work with their parents in these businesses. Companies in more than 30 states and encompassing more than 20 different types of businesses have reaped huge benefits from offering parents this option. The fact is, when babies-at-work programs are set up just like any other business policy, they work--and they are enthusiastically supported by managers and coworkers (even many who were initially very skeptical of the concept).

The Institute has already enlisted two other companies to start baby programs in conjunction with our initiative and we are currently seeking many more large or small organizations. We will provide everything--for free--that a company will need to set up a successful babies-at-work program, including copies of my recently completed books and an award-winning lactation support program through LifeCare for the first 50 mothers that participate in a pilot program.

If you wish to help us to transform the integration of work and family and increase the options available for parents and babies, please consider donating to our efforts. We welcome referrals to companies that might wish to participate in the pilot or individuals that wish our assistance in proposing or implementing a program (the Institute phone number is (801) 897-8702). Regular updates on our efforts will be posted on our blog.

Edited September 10th to Add: U.S. News and World Report printed an article about Governor Palin yesterday that specifically references the Institute's work on babies in the workplace.