Dads Need Baby Changing Stations, Too

It may take a village to raise a child, but often half the village’s restrooms don’t have baby changing stations.

We’re talking about men’s restrooms, and contrary to the notion that men don’t help with diaper changes, many dads indeed do help with babies and toddlers. But, all too often, men’s restrooms lack baby changing stations.

This issue rose to the level of national news media more than once in 2018. In October, The New York Times published an article about a high school teacher and dad in Jacksonville, Fla., who decided to post a photo online showing how he changes his son’s diapers in restrooms that don’t have changing stations. Social media spread his photo to the masses, and messages of support came in from around the world.

And in June, Today published an article and video online about a father from Portsmouth, N.H., who was upset he had to change his baby’s diaper on the dirty floor of a men’s restroom. He, too, took his cause to social media.

There are in some cases regulations that require changing stations in restrooms. As the New York Times article noted, President Barack Obama signed the Bathrooms Accessible in Every Situation Act in 2016 that required federal public buildings to be equipped with baby changing facilities. And New York City approved legislation requiring new and renovated buildings to have changing stations available to the public regardless of gender.

Do the men’s restrooms in your facility have changing stations? When selecting a baby changing station to install, keep in mind these important considerations:

• Surfaces should be easy to clean and tough enough for use in a public restroom
• Look for a changing station with an easy-to-clean safety belt that can be adjusted with one hand
• The station should be bacteria and fungi resistant
• Some models have hooks for changing bags for added user convenience
• Be sure the model is in compliance with safety regulations
• The industry standard is a horizontal changing station, but vertical models are available for restrooms tight on space

If the men’s restrooms, and for that matter any restrooms, in your facility do not include baby changing stations, consider installing durable, safe fixtures to help moms and dads with one of the less pleasant duties of parenthood.