Infants-at-Work Testimonials

Welcome to the Baby-Friendly Workplace Testimonials! Read about fellow employee’s experiences, both mothers and fathers, with the infants-at-work program. If you would like to be featured on the page, please send us your story and photo of your infant at work!

Visit our contact page for how to get in touch.

 

“As a mom, a first-time new mom especially, there is such a challenge between staying at a job you love and being able to spend your time with your child. I cannot thank the efforts enough of Kelly and the Health Division to allow for the “bring your infant to work policy” because it allowed me the best of both worlds. It has made an immeasurable difference for my family. As a new mom, my daughter, Shiloh, was able to be with me until she became mobile. This allowed us the gift of being together 24-7 during such an important time in both our lives. It allowed for irreplaceable bonding time, continuation of breastfeeding, and an incredible amount of support from my colleagues. It truly was a village raising a child. As a new mom, when something was odd, I could run over to my fellow moms and say “is this normal?” Shiloh had several surrogate aunties, grandmas, and grandpas that would take her for walks around the building. This has allowed her to become very social and talkative. The office morale is so wonderful whenever there was a baby around. As soon as Shi left, everyone said “ok, who’s next, we need another baby!” I can look back on her first year and smile thinking of the moments when she would fall asleep on my lap while I was typing, or in a tense meeting when there would be a baby burp or toot to lighten the mood, these are all memories I would not have, had it been not for Kelly’s hard work to research and get this policy in place and for the Health Division to understand the need for a family-life balance.”

– Julia Peek; State of Nevada – Division of Public and Behavioral Health; 01/2012-12/2012 & 01/2014-12/2014 & 02/2016-01/2017

 

“I was fortunate to participate in a baby at work program, as a father. Seeing my daughters face every day made every day worthwhile. She brightened the day of everyone in the workplace. All of my coworkers were supportive and helpful. Which was a blessing when navigating parenthood for the first time. The ability to take my baby to work granted me time with my child I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Looking back, I can’t imagine not having this time with her. I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything. This program is an amazing incentive while forging a bond that lasts a lifetime”

– Theron Huntamer; State of Nevada-Office of Informatics and Epidemiology; 05/2018-02/2019

 

“I am so grateful for the Infant at Work Program. As a first-time new mom, being able to bring my baby to work when I returned from maternity leave has helped me bond with my baby and navigate my new work/life balance. It’s helped my overall well-being, it’s been great for my baby’s development, and it’s helped me sustain breastfeeding. Through this program, I know my employer supports the value of parent and infant bonding in the earliest stages of life.”

– Julie Balderson; State of Nevada-Division of Welfare and Supportive Services; 12/2018-05-2019

 

“My experience with being able to bring my child to work has been very positive. I first heard about the program shortly after I found out I was pregnant, and I looked forward to returning from maternity leave with my daughter by my side.

Once I was able to bring Samantha to work with me, it was a bit of an adjustment, and definitely a balancing act trying to find the right blend of paying attention to her and focusing on my tasks. However, because she was a bit older when I first started bringing her (6 months old), she required more attention than she would have had I been able to bring her from my immediate return-forward. I was pleasantly surprised at my coworkers’ reactions to Samantha – not only have they been receptive, but they also stop by just to say hi and check in on her, and she is never short on getting cuddles if and when she wants them, and they volunteer to watch her if needed. I have also bonded with the other parents in the building who have children around the same age, which is great for problem solving and sharing parenting tips.

Being able to bring Samantha to work with me gives me peace of mind if I know I can’t utilize my sitter for the day. It also allows me to maintain a connection with her and to feel like I get to watch her develop and grow and learn, which I would miss out on if she was at the sitter’s house all of the time. Even though I only bring her in a few afternoons a week, and occasionally for a full day, I treasure the time I get to spend with her and am really appreciative of having the option to bring her at my leisure at the moment. In addition, being able to bring her with me reduces the time I have to take off to go pick her up if either of us have an appointment to get to. I also feel that introducing her to an office environment at an early age encourages positive behaviors that will come in handy down the line.

In summation, bringing Samantha to work with me has been an unexpectedly positive and encouraging experience. I believe the option should be available for all new parents and encourage more workplaces to adopt policies and practices to allow new parents to bring their children with them.”

-Alecia, State of Nevada-Division of Welfare and Supportive Services; 01/2019-6/2019

 

“I am fortunate to work for the Department of Health and Human Services and grateful for the opportunities it has allowed me. Currently, I am participating in the Infants-at-Work program for the second time. Although having an infant in the office can make the job more challenging, the rewards exceedingly justify the extra effort. As a father, this program has allowed me to form a closer bond with my sons than any child care alternative would have. Also, having a baby in the office is calming; not just for me, but for my colleagues as well. The Infants-at-Work program also encourages my colleagues and I to take more walks and get fresh air. I’m lucky to work with such a supportive group of people!”

– Cody Ross; State of Nevada –  Office of Informatics and Technology ; 7/2016-11/2016 & 4/2019-TBD

 

“I have never worked for an employer that allowed babies at work, so I am very thankful to have this amazing benefit. I came back from maternity leave at 6 weeks and was so happy & thankful that I was going to be able to bring my baby to work. This opportunity has been great for me and my baby. I have been able to exclusively breastfeed & spend more time with my little one. This experience has been very positive. I truly value my employer and this wonderful program.”

– Maria Curiel; State of Nevada – Division of Welfare and Supportive Services; 2/2019-11/2019

 

“My two children are 13 years apart, so having my second one felt very much like being a first time mom.  Like many other parents, I was nervous about leaving my baby to return to work.  I contemplated becoming a stay at home mom and struggled with the idea of departing with my career temporarily; my ambivalence was overwhelming as I wanted to keep growing professionally and, at the same time, keep what I valued most, time with my baby.  I wanted my nursing to be successful and I wanted to ensure that my baby developed a secure attachment to me, these were of the upmost importance to me.

In January 2016, my agency, DPBH, made accommodations for me which allowed me to bring my infant to work.  They provided me with a private workspace and a flexible schedule. I was able to take my infant to work with me as soon as I returned from FMLA until she was 6 months old (this was the policy at that time, although it is now 1 year).  Bringing her to work allowed me to transition back into my professional role smoothly while meeting her and my needs, ensuring secure attachment, continuing to fully nurse and continuing my own personal growth in my career.  I am forever grateful to DHHS for having this policy in place and for making these accommodations! I am a proud momma that breastfeed her daughter until she was 35 months old, thanks to brining my baby to work.  Not to mention, this program has had a positive impact to her mental, physical, social and emotional health and I rarely have to call in to work due to a sick child.  I hope other parents are able to endeavor in this wonderful journey of bringing their little sidekick to work.”

– Briza Virgen; State of Nevada – Division of Welfare and Supportive Services; 12/2019-3/2019

 

“On my first day at DHHS I walked in the door and was greeted by a baby sitting in a mail cart. the AA at the front desk introduced herself and the baby, and then carried on as if there was nothing unusual about this. After a career change from a law enforcement agency, I was totally unaware of the bring your baby to work initiatives and was skeptical of the feasibility of such a program. However, two year later when I had my daughter, Lilly, I was so grateful too be able to bring her with me to the office. Having the opportunity to be with my baby all day helped reinforce our bond and allowed me to continue breastfeeding. Continuing to breastfeed was especially beneficial for us because she had a dairy sensitivity and the specialty infant formula options were limited, expensive and had a laundry list of ingredients I wasn’t excited about.

Participating in the DHHS Infants at Work Program gave me such a deep appreciation for the support the Department and all of the people who work here showed me. Without the flexibility and support I received during my baby’s first year I don’t know if I would have decided to returned to work at all. Having the ability to enjoy that fleeting baby phase without having to step back from my career was an opportunity I wish every new parent had the benefit of!”

–Ashley Kopp; State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services – Director’s Office; 10/2017-09/2018

 

“Bringing my son with me back to work was the best opportunity and experience. Not only was it great not having the anxiety of being away from him at such a young age, but being able to see his little face every day made my days so much better. Everyone in the office was so supportive and amazing with the whole process. I recommend anyone who just had a child to try it out if they have the option!”

– Kayla Jacobs; State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services – Director’s Office; 7/2019-8/2019

 

“When I joined DHHS, I was aware of the “Infant at Work” program and saw many babies in the workplace; however, when I became pregnant, I was skeptical about whether bringing my baby to work would be feasible for me. I talked with other co-workers who had utilized the program and heard really positive feedback, so I decided to give the program a try and I’m so happy I did. My daughter Nyxa was born and I returned to work six weeks after giving birth. It has been a great experience. My co-workers and supervisors are very supportive and I’m able to continue breastfeeding and bonding, while also continuing to fulfill my job duties.

DHHS is a very welcoming and accommodating environment for moms and babies– with easy accessibility to lactation rooms and co-workers who are eager to take my baby on walks outside and around the floor. The “Infant at Work” program has been an incredible experience and has provided a huge benefit in terms of daycare cost savings and having the ability to continue bonding and breastfeeding will provide both immediate and long-term health benefits for me and my baby.”

– Erika Pond; Division of Child and Family Services; 8/2019-2/2020