SPD: Support for Lactating Parents

The State of Indiana provides reasonable opportunities and locations for lactating parents needing to express breast milk for the nutritional needs of their infant child while meeting the operational needs of state agencies.

Room Reservations

Indiana Government Center Campus

Who can I contact to schedule a lactation room on the Government Center Campus?
1. Please email conference@idoa.in.gov for scheduling. For urgent requests, please call 317-233-3117.
How long can I schedule a lactation room?
1. Lactation rooms are generally scheduled in 30-minute increments. Reservations longer than 30 minutes may be approved or denied depending on availability and must be approved by IDOA in advance.
2. All reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
3. Reservations may be scheduled for up to three calendar months in advance.
How many lactations rooms are available on the Indiana Government Center Campus?
1. IDOA provides four lactation rooms within the Indiana Government Center South and one lactation room within Indiana Government Center North.
  1. Government Center South Map
  2. Government Center North Map
2. Some agencies may have dedicated lactation rooms within their agency office on the Government Center campus. Please confirm with your manager and/or embedded HR field staff.
Where can I find information on how to access the lactation rooms?
1. For security and privacy purposes, information on how to access lactation rooms will be emailed to employees upon scheduling.
I am on new parent leave, when should I schedule the lactation rooms?
1. Most lactating parents do not schedule rooms until a week or so before they return to work; however, you are welcome to schedule at your convenience.

Locations Outside Indiana Government Center Campus

How do I schedule a lactation room at a location outside of the Indiana Government Center campus location?
1. You should reach out to your embedded HR field staff who can provide with you the site-specific process for how to schedule and utilize the lactation room.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are the lactation rooms secured?
- All lactation rooms on the Indiana Government Center campus lock from the inside.
- There is a vacant/occupied sliding sign outside each lactation room door.
- IDOA schedules the lactation rooms to ensure there is no double booking or overlap in room reservation.
Are there any limits to how often I can use this space?
- No, there are no limits on how often you can use the lactation rooms. Generally speaking, breaks of up to 30 minutes every 3 hours are anticipated, but the Lactating Parents policy, affords flexibility based on an individual’s situation.
- The rooms are scheduled in 30-minute time blocks. If you need more time, please communicate your needs with the IDOA scheduling staff and your supervisor.
What is provided within the lactation rooms?
- Paper towels
- Cleaning Supplies
- Electrical outlet
- Trash can
- Chair
- Table or flat surface
- If anything is running low or not restocked, please contact IDOA as soon as possible either via email, conference@idoa.in.gov or by phone, 317-233-3117.
What do I need to bring for the lactation rooms?
- Pump equipment
- Cold Storage (if your agency doesn’t have a place to refrigerate breast milk)
- Pump equipment cleaning supplies
Do the rooms have running water?
- Only the lactation room that is located in the basement of Indiana Government Center South has running water within the room; however, all lactation rooms are located near a restroom that can be used to clean supplies.
What are my responsibilities related to using a lactation room?
- As a courtesy, parents should always be sure to clean up after each session using the supplies provided by IDOA, conference@idoa.in.gov.
- Ensure you are being mindful of your timeslot in the room. If you need more time in the room, please contact IDOA, conference@idoa.in.gov.
- After leaving the room, parents should ensure the room is locked per IDOA guidance.
What are my responsibilities related to storing expressed breast milk at work?
- You are responsible for clearly labeling any and all containers containing expressed breast milk in a shared cold storage unit.
- You must also remove expressed breast milk from the shared cold storage unit daily.
What are my rights under the PUMP Act?
- Lactating parents are entitled to reasonable break time and a clean, private space to pump breast milk.
- The space for pumping must be shielded from view, free from intrusion, and functional for pumping.
- The private space must not be a bathroom.
- The employee must be completely relieved from duty or the time spent pumping must be counted as hours worked for pay.
If I am not provided with appropriate accommodations to express breast milk, what should I do?
- Please contact your agency’s HR representative or the INSPD Employee Relations Division.
What do I need to tell my manager if I require break time to express breast milk?
- You should tell your manager you plan to utilize break time pursuant to the Support for Lactating Parents policy. You should also tell your manager when you plan to be away from your workstation and for how long.
Am I required to utilize the Anticipated Break Schedule & Location Request form?
- No, this form is not required in order to use break time to express breast milk. However, this form may serve as a useful tool to guide planning and discussion with your manager, as well as documentation of the agreed upon break times and locations.

Support for Lactating Parents

DOL FAQ

Support for Lactating Parents Policy

DOH Breastfeeding site

Statewide Breastfeeding Plan

Room Reservations

Frequently Asked Questions