Health in All Policies: Supporting Families on a University Campus with Design Changes

background: The University of Utah has over 30,000 enrolled students, many of whom are married with children. In order to increase graduation rates, recruit and retain faculty, and improve the campus environment, several stakeholder groups across campus were asked to suggest systematic changes.

methods: Input was solicited from students, faculty, and staff. Increasing access for affordable, high-quality childcare, particularly for infants, was identified as a pressing need by the entire campus community. Accessible lactation spaces, changing tables, and family-friendly spaces on campus were also named as important gaps.

results: In the past two years, there have been important successes. The School of Medicine implemented paid parental leave for faculty. A new infant childcare opened this year, and is serving 26 families. Before this, there was no infant care available on campus. A website to help find childcare is set to launch. A new, searchable, online campus map of family-friendly spaces displays diaper changing facilities and lactation spaces. Fold-down step stools have been installed in restrooms in high-traffic areas such as the student union. Campus design standards now require inclusion of lactation rooms in all new buildings and major remodels. The campus library created a family reading room and also provides highchairs, diaper changing facilities, a lactation room, stroller parking areas, and a map of pathways through the library accessible to double strollers.

conclusion: Although sufficient childcare is still a huge need, incremental changes in many areas are increasing the family-friendly environment on campus, particularly for breastfeeding mothers.