The Duval County Public School district passed a policy October 2 to support breastfeeding mothers in the workplace, joining 60 percent of county school districts in the state.

The policy, which reflects the Fair Labor Stands Act, allows for:

• Reasonable unpaid breaks for an employee to express breast milk for her child for up to one (1) year after birth of the child.
• A private area that is free from intrusion and can be locked, shall be made available to the employee.
• A nursing mother shall be responsible for notifying her supervisor of her intent to exercise her right under Fair Labor Standards Act.

The Florida Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative, which was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, included an intervention for improved nutrition. As part of this intervention, CPPW worked to increase the number of school districts and state agencies that provide work-site breastfeeding support for employees.

By Summer 2012, when the CPPW initiative concluded, 39 counties throughout the state had passed policies, including Baker, Clay and Nassau counties in Northeast Florida.