How to Apply for TMFW

Yes. Texas Administrative Code defines a Texas Mother-Friendly business as "a worksite that actively promotes and supports breastfeeding by its employees and that maintains a written worksite lactation support policy that is regularly communicated to employees." Texas Health and Safety Code 165, Breastfeeding, allows designation of businesses as Texas "Mother-Friendly" if they have a policy "supporting the practice of worksite breastfeeding." The policy must provide:

• Work schedule flexibility;
• Accessible locations allowing privacy;
• Access to a clean, safe water source, and a sink; and
• Hygienic breast milk storage alternatives.

While flexible scheduling and space provide the basics that a lactating employee must have to successfully combine work and breastfeeding, a written and communicated policy confirms the expectations and provides assurance for a supportive environment. Well-written and maintained policies:

• Specify minimum standards for the rights, responsibilities, and expectations related to the employee worksite lactation program.
• Provide a basis to guide the actions of employees affected by the policy, including program users, their managers, and their co-workers.

In addition to your policy, be prepared to answer a few questions about the policy. It may help to have your policy on hand as you go through the application. If you’d like to review the application before starting, you can view a PDF version. We will also ask some questions about your worksite's location and contacts. During the process, we will ask you to confirm your worksite meets the designation criteria.

There is no cost to apply for the Texas Mother-Friendly designation or receive technical assistance from our team. Employers may decide to spend additional resources to provide their employees with education and support resources or to build a dedicated lactation space for their employees. Research shows lactation support programs produce a 3 to 1 return on investment due to lower health care costs, reduced absenteeism, and lower turnover rates.

Yes. We assign worksites as Texas Mother-Friendly on a worksite-by-worksite basis. This means we will list each worksite in our directory as a separate listing.

If you have more than 5 worksites, you may prefer to fill in a spreadsheet rather than apply for each worksite. If so, please contact TexasMotherFriendlyWorksite@dshs.texas.gov for a spreadsheet you will need to complete.