The University of California recognizes the importance and benefits of breastfeeding for both parents and their children. UC Santa Barbara's Lactation Support Program (LSP)is committed to supporting academic employees, staff, students, and visitors who need to express milk or wish to have a private place to breastfeed a child. Lactation accommodations are a right under California law, Labor Code Section 1030-1034 and Education Code Section 66271.5- 66282.
Please contact Shira Minerd, WorkLife Wellbeing Program Manager, for assistance with Lactation Accommodations.
Use the index below to navigate throughout this page
Registration provides data that is critical for program continuation and improvement. When you register, you will be provided with site locations in the form of a PDF and google maps, on the immediate Thank You response page.
Requesting Lactation Accommodations
Parents wishing to express milk while at work should request and arrange with their supervisor appropriate and reasonable break times for lactation purposes. Generally, lactating parents need 20 to 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times per 8-hour day, but this may vary depending on the individual. If you need assistance coming up with a reasonable schedule or finding a place to pump, please register for the Lactation Support Program, or contact Shira Minerd, Work-Life Resource Coordinator.
To accommodate an employee’s desire to breastfeed or express milk, the university will:
- provide a reasonable amount of break time to accommodate an employee desiring to express breast milk for the employee’s infant child each time the employee has need to express milk. The time shall, if possible, run concurrently with an employee's paid rest break.
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make a separate break time available if it is not possible for the lactation break to run concurrently with the employee's existing rest period. For non-exempt employees, this separate break time is unpaid time as it is not considered time worked or time on pay status. (a) The denial of reasonable break time or adequate space to express milk in accordance with Labor Code 1033 shall be deemed a failure to comply for purposes of Section 226.7. An aggrieved employee may file a complaint under this subdivision with the Labor Commissioner pursuant to Section 98.
For University Students: Per UCSB policy concerning all medical or emotional conditions resulting in disability (even when temporary), pregnant students and employees can participate in work, classes, and extra-curricular activities without submitting a doctor’s note. Pregnancy accommodations may include academic (e.g., a note-taker), employment (e.g., excused absences), and housing accommodations (e.g., Family Student Housing), as well as facility access (e.g., lactation rooms) and childcare assistance. For more information about your rights and accommodations, and for assistance accessing accommodations, contact the Title IX Office at (805) 893-2701 or titleix-info@ucsb.
Responding to a Request for Lactation Accommodations
For more information, including Lactation Rooms on campus, please refer to “Lactation Place and Lactation Rooms” (above). Please also review UC’s Policy: Accommodations for Nursing Mothers. Please contact the Lactation Support Program Coordinator for assistance regarding lactation support and accommodation or submit a Service Now ticket.
For Supervisors and Managers: Supervisors and Managers are encouraged to review UC’s Policy: Accommodations for Nursing Mothers. Please contact the Lactation Support Program Coordinator for assistance regarding lactation support and accommodations. Submit a Service Now ticket.
For Faculty, Advisors, and Supervisors of Students: Per UCSB policy concerning all medical or emotional conditions resulting in disability (even when temporary), pregnant students and employees and can participate in work, classes, and extra-curricular activities without submitting a doctor’s note. Pregnancy accommodations may include academic (e.g., a note-taker), employment (e.g., excused absences), and housing accommodations (e.g., Family Student Housing), as well as facility access (e.g., lactation rooms) and childcare assistance.
For more information about pregnancy and lactation rights and accommodations for students, and for assistance accessing accommodations, please contact the Title IX Office at (805) 893-2701 or titleix-info@ucsb.
Lactation Time
Supervisors and student advisors should attempt to provide as much schedule flexibility and break time as reasonably possible to accommodate the employee or student’s needs.
The typical need is for 20 to 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times per day, not including the time it takes to get to and from the designated lactation space; however, the required time is impacted by individual needs and the proximity to a reasonable space for lactation; therefore, decisions should be made on a case by case basis.
Consider schedule options that would accommodate this leave time, and still allow for business needs to be accomplished. A variety of flexible work arrangements can be used for the purpose of accommodating lactation time, such as alternate start/stop times to the workday, rearranging break periods, etc.
The lactation break time may run concurrently with the employee's existing rest period. If it is not possible for a lactation break to run concurrently with the rest period, the University must make available a separate unpaid break time. For non-exempt employees, this is neither time worked nor time on pay status.
Lactation Place
The University will provide a private, secure, and sanitary area for employees and students to express breast milk.
Supervisors will make a reasonable effort to provide an appropriate space with an electrical outlet, which is in close proximity to the employee's work area. Appropriate locations would include the employee’s own office, another private office not in use, or any available area with a locking door where the employee can have privacy from the view of others.
A toilet stall or a room lacking privacy and a locking door is NOT an appropriate space for lactation purposes.
For more information, including Lactation Rooms on campus, or how to create one, please refer to the following sections on "Creating Lactation Spaces and "Published Lactation Rooms."
Creating Lactation Spaces
The University will provide a private, secure, and sanitary area for employees and students to express breast milk.
Lactation Place & the Law
Supervisors will make a reasonable effort to provide an appropriate space with an electrical outlet, which is in close proximity to the employee's work area. Appropriate locations would include the employee’s own office, another private office not in use, or any available area with a locking door where the employee can have privacy from the view of others. California Labor Code 1031 outlines the basic requirements for lactation spaces, including the following:
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(a) An employer shall provide an employee with the use of a room or other location for the employee to express milk in private. The room or location may include the place where the employee normally works if it otherwise meets the requirements of this section.
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(b) A lactation room or location shall not be a bathroom and shall be in close proximity to the employee’s work area, shielded from view, and free from intrusion while the employee is expressing milk.
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(c) A lactation room or location shall comply with all of the following requirements:
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Be safe, clean, and free of hazardous materials, as defined in Section 6382.
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Contain a surface to place a breast pump and personal items.
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Contain a place to sit.
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Have access to electricity or alternative devices, including, but not limited to, extension cords or charging stations, needed to operate an electric or battery-powered breast pump.
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(d) The employer shall provide access to a sink with running water and a refrigerator suitable for storing milk in close proximity to the employee’s workspace. If a refrigerator cannot be provided, an employer may provide another cooling device suitable for storing milk, such as an employer-provided cooler.
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(e) Where a multipurpose room is used for lactation, among other uses, the use of the room for lactation shall take precedence over the other uses, but only for the time it is in use for lactation purposes.
A toilet stall or a room lacking privacy and a locking door is NOT an appropriate space for lactation purposes.
Lactation Room Requirements & Recommendations
Ad Hoc Space
This may be the employee's own office or a multi-purpose space (such as a conference room, vacant office, storeroom, or someone else's office) adapted on a temporary basis for the purposes of pumping or breastfeeding. The minimum requirements are:
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Door that locks
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Electrical outlet for plugging in a breast pump
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Good lighting and ventilation
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Comfortable chair
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Countertop or table for breast pump and supplies
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"Occupied" sign for the door
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Wastebasket
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Door sign
Dedicated Lactation Rooms
A room designed and used only for pumping or breastfeeding. Basic lactation room/single user (minimum dimensions 4’ x 5’) At minimum:
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Door that locks
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Electrical outlet for plugging in a breast pump
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Good lighting and ventilation
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Comfortable chair, preferably adjustable height with good back support
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Countertop or table for breastpump and supplies
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"Occupied" sign for the door
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Wastebasket, chemical cleaner for surfaces, cleaner for hands, routine maintenance
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Nearby sink for washing hands and pump parts
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Assigned coordinator to help with access and oversight
Recommended lactation room/single user (minimum dimensions 6’ x 8’ or 7’ x 7’)
All the requirements of the Basic Lactation Room (see above) plus:
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Footrest
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Sink for washing hands, pump, and tubing, with soap and paper towels
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Multi-user hospital-grade breast pump (mothers provide their own collection kits)
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Reservation system (electronic calendar, sign-in sheet, or dry-erase board)
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chemical cleaner for surfaces, chemical cleaner for hands, routine daily maintenance
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Lockable storage for personal belongings
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Clock, and small mirror to help check and readjust clothing before returning to work
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Décor (artwork, soft lighting), and educational resources (bulletin board, pamphlets, books)
Recommended lactation room/multi-user (minimum dimensions 12’ x 16’)
All the requirements of the Recommended Lactation Room (see above), plus:
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Second chair and footrest
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Screen or partition to section off private areas during peak times
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Second multi-user hospital-grade breast pump
Published Lactation Rooms
There are 17+ published lactation rooms at UC Santa Barbara, and we are always working to add new rooms. At a minimum, each published lactation room has a door that locks from the inside, shades for additional privacy if needed, an electrical outlet for a personal or hospital grade pump close to a chair, good lighting and ventilation, a table or countertop, an "Occupied" sign for the door, hand sanitizer, and a nearby sink for washing hands and pump parts.
If you would like access to one of the lactation rooms listed, please click below to register:
We ask that all Lactation Support Program Members wipe up spills and help keep the rooms clean to ensure a sanitary environment for other users.
We want your pumping experience to be as relaxing as possible, should you encounter a room with maintenance-related problems, unsanitary conditions, or missing supplies, please inform the Lactation Support Program Coordinator.
Maps and Directions
Breast Pump & Supplies
UCSB employees have several options available for obtaining a breast pump, including:
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Purchase a Medela Pump in Style Advanced Metro Bag at the Bookstore at a discounted price.
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Borrow a pump (subject to availability) from the Lactation Accommodation Program. Pump only — you must supply your own kit of personal attachments.
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Under the Affordable Care Act, UC medical plans will provide breastfeeding support, supplies (including breast pumps) and counseling at no cost. For more information, please contact your medical plan, or visit the Ucnet website.
Lactation Support & Resources
The following are listed for your convenience; please note that UCSB does not evaluate external services and cannot make any recommendations of quality or service.
Dr. Katrina Mitchell, author of the Physician Guide to Breastfeeding
Local doctor seeing patients in her office at the Ridley Tree Cancer Center-Sansum Clinic, and operate at the Foothill Surgery Center & Cottage Hospitals in Santa Barbara and Goleta, California. Offers prenatal and postpartum house calls, as well as telemedicine consults. Services include:
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Medical/Surgical Services
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Lactation Support
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Maternal mental health
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Pregnancy concerns
Free monthly breastfeeding meet-up: Second Monday of the Month from 10-11:30am. Facilitated by Jen Gibian, MA, CLEC and Jan Vucinich, CLEC generously hosted by Santa Barbara Birth Center - 2958 State Street.
Postpartum Education for Parents offers Baby Basics Classes, New Parent Groups, and a warm-line for confidential one-on-one support in English 805-564-3888, and Spanish 805-852-1595.
The Lactation Center (TLC) at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital offers Mother's Circle, a free drop-in group for moms. Information is posted under the "Community Resources" section (at the bottom of their webpage). Cottage also offers monthly Breastfeeding classes.
Santa Barbara County WIC: Breastfeeding Program
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Pump Loans
- WIC offers manual, pedal, and electric breast pumps to eligible mothers.
- Fully breastfeeding participants may receive a "Personal Use Pump in Style" (PNS) electric breast pump to keep when working or going to school close to 30 hours including travel time.
Breastfeeding Problems
- Breastfeeding help is available by phone or in person at each WIC site
- All sites have Lactation Educators and access to Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs
- Please call 877-275-8805
- Click here for more Breastfeeding Support
Haven family Resource offers support groups, classes, and development play for new mothers and their children.
University of California Health Milk Bank is a non-profit human milk bank and an accredited member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA)
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Your Guide to Breastfeeding is a comprehensive printable resource providing information, tips, aids and answers to most questions (from Womenshealth.gov)
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Womenshealth.gov Also provides a hotline for basic breastfeeding questions: 1-800-994-9662
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California Department of Public Health: Going Back to Work or School
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Mother's Milk Bank The non-profit organization is the only milk bank in California, and it provides milk to around 100 or more hospitals in and outside the state, including Cottage Children's Medical Center.
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KellyMom.com evidence-based information on breastfeeding and parenting.
Lactation Policies & Laws
Lactation Accommodation is the law in California
The California Labor Code and the Federal Department of Labor provide guidelines on reasonable break time and room/location that employers shall provide to employees, while California Education Code 66271.9 outlines requirements and recommendations for student lactation accommodations.
The Affordable Care Act - effective January 1, 2013, mandates that UC's medical plans will provide breastfeeding support, supplies (including breast pumps) and counseling at no cost. For more information on how this affects you, please contact your medical plan.
University of California PPSM 84 Accommodations for Nursing Mothers
Lactation Facility Standards from the Systemwide Advisory Committee on the Status of Women (UCOP)
Parenting Accommodation Policy for Graduate Students and Academic Student Employees