Indiana Gov. Mike Braun on Tuesday announced a pilot program that will allow some state employees to bring their infants to work during the child’s first six months of life.
The “Family First Workplace” initiative begins immediately in three agencies: the Governor’s Office, the Indiana Department of Health and the State Personnel Department. Agency officials will establish procedures to determine which positions and workspaces are suitable for infants and to enforce safety and productivity requirements.
Participation is limited to full-time employees of those agencies and is described as a privilege, not a right; agencies may remove employees from the program if operational needs or performance standards are not met. The guidance also directs agencies to provide lactation spaces and appoint coordinators to handle approvals and questions.
Braun said the move builds on steps his administration took earlier this year to expand paid parental and childbirth leave for state workers and reflects a broader push to support working families and early childhood bonding. “Indiana is going to lead the nation in pro-family policy,” he said in the announcement.
The pilot is limited in scope for now, but state officials say it could be expanded to additional agencies if it proves feasible. That leaves open the possibility that regional or field offices outside Indianapolis could be added later, though no such expansions have been announced.
