Title
Retroactive Authorization to Apply for, Accept, and Disburse Maricopa County Department of Public Health Lactation Space Funding (Ordinance S-51143)
Description
Request to retroactively authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to apply for and accept funds from Maricopa County Department of Public Health in an amount not to exceed $3,000. Funding will be used to renovate and create lactation rooms. Further request to authorize the City Treasurer to accept, and the City Controller to disburse, funds related to this item. There is not impact to the General Fund.
Report
Background
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nursing mothers breastfeed for a year if possible. However, for many working mothers, maternity leave ends before their babies are weaned, making it difficult to keep up milk production. Breastfed babies are healthier and have lower health care costs. Giving breast milk, rather than formula, has been shown to help prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, ear infections, type 2 diabetes, and many other illnesses. The longer a mother feeds her child breast milk, the more health benefits there are for both mother and child. Lactation rooms provide a secure place for these employees to express milk while at work. A private space is necessary because to begin the flow of milk, mothers must be able to sit down and be relaxed and not stressed. Mothers who are in an open or uncomfortable space may not be able to express milk. A private space is necessary because expressing milk is a very different experience from breastfeeding a baby in person. The Maricopa County Department of Public Health recently released a request for quotes and the Office of Public Health responded to the posting. Through this award, funds will be provided to create and improve existing lactation spaces for City of Phoenix employees.
The retroactive request is due to a short submission period to apply for the grant and determine who would administer the funding.
Contract Term
The grant term is a one-time allocation beginning on or about July 1, 2024.
Financial Impact
The total award is $3,000 from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. Funds will be budgeted in the Human Services Department budget. There is no impact to the General Fund.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistance City Manager Lori Bays and the Office of Public Health.