When Virginia State Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker had her first child three years ago, she found out the hard way just how tough it can be to find a baby changing table.
She was traveling with her newborn and stopped at a restaurant.
“I walked into the restroom and could not find a diaper changing table, and I was shocked,” Bennett-Parker told News4. “[…] And I was shocked to learn that wasn’t a requirement in Virginia.”
Her experience is shared by others.
“I had to change him in a car. It was cold. So yes, that happened a lot actually,” one Virginia mom said.
So first as a Virginia Delegate, then state senator, Bennett-Parker began her quest to do something about the issue, a problem she discovered was even worse for fathers or male caregivers.
“If there is a diaper changing table it’s probably in the women’s restroom, and it probably isn’t in the men’s restroom,” Bennett-Parker said.
Bennett-Parker learned state building code rules are reviewed every three years by the Board of Housing and Community Development. So she made her pitch — more than once — and this month, the board gave initial approval to a proposed regulation that would require changing tables in new buildings open to the public — like stores, banks and restaurants. The rule would apply to women’s, men’s and gender neutral family restrooms.
If the proposed rule wins final approval, Virginia would join more than a dozen states and D.C. that have requirements for changing tables in buildings used by the public. In the District, baby changing tables are required in new buildings or renovated buildings open to the public.
“I think it’s a common sense effort to support families and make Virginia a more welcoming, easy place for families and parents to navigate,” Bennett-Parker said.
“I think the more access we have to changing tables in both men’s and women’s restrooms, the better, for sure,” said Melissa Rowe, a veteran nanny.
But the change is not a done deal yet. The proposal will be published to gather public comment with a final vote yet to come.
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/pynKCiS
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