City Kids Daycare Discriminates Against Breastfeeding Mothers

Robin Neorr enrolled her daughter in one of the City Kids Daycare available in downtown Columbus Ohio, and was charged an additional $50 per week to care for her three month old daughter because she was breastfed. While Neorr's infant daughter was still receiving care from the City Kids Daycare she felt uneasy drawing negative attention to the discrimination. However now that she no longer depends on them to watch her child Neorr is fighting back.

Neorr was told by the City Kids Daycare that her milk was a hazardous body fluid that had to be kept separate from all other food. The bottles of pumped milk were kept in a separate refrigerator in the director's office and labeled as a biohazard. The daycare also claimed that they would have to purchase a separate warming pot for heating up the breast milk.

Chapter 12 of the Ohio Administrative Code covers the Rules for Licensed Child Care Centers and has specific rules outlining the care of breastmilk and infant formula in a daycare setting. None of those rules require keeping breast milk separated or require a separate warming pot.

The requirements as outlined by the Ohio Code state: If breast milk is provided by the parent or guardian, it shall be labeled with the child's name and the date of receipt and immediately refrigerated or frozen. Refrigerated breast milk shall not be stored for more than twenty-four hours. Breast milk shall be kept frozen no more than two weeks. If formula or breast milk is to be warmed, bottles shall be placed in a container of hot (not boiling) water or be placed in a commercial bottle warmer. The container of water shall be emptied and cleaned each day. The bottle shall be shaken well, and the milk temperature tested before feeding. Frozen breast milk shall be thawed under cold running water or in the refrigerator. The unused portion of formula, breast milk or food remaining in a container from which the infant has been directly fed, shall not be reheated or served again.