Parent’s rejoice! New York State is taking steps to ensure that when dad takes his baby into the bathroom there WILL be a table there for him to change his baby. As most parents know 99% of bathrooms do not offer this feature for dad’s and it’s incredibly frustrating for parents.
The new law changes the state’s building code to require new and renovated buildings with public bathrooms to provide “safe and compliant changing tables” in both men’s and women’s restrooms.
This applies to everything from restaurants and business to movie theaters and state facilities, according to the office of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The legislation, passed in April, mandates there must be at least
“New York proudly leads the nation in fighting for the rights of compliant changing, and by ensuring access to these amenities, we will help to the New Yorkers can give their children the care they need at this critical stage of their lives,” Cuomo said in a statement. “This legislation supports our efforts to make New York the nation’s model for working parents, and helps make it a stronger, fairer and more equal state for all.”
Frustrated with the lack of amenities, Florida dad Scotty Schrier created Dads Who Change Diapers, a website that acts as a support group for men attempting to locate diaper changing stations around the United States.
“If dads don’t have changing tables, what can they do to change diapers? I’ve seen them run the gamut,” Schrier, 43, told ABC News in 2016. “I’ve personally had to change my oldest son when he was standing up in a sink because it was all we had. I’ve had to take the kids back out to the car. I’ve seen dads say, ‘Well, I don’t care. I’ll just change the kid on the table in the restaurant.'”
Hopefully the new law will spur the same changes in other states. Single dads or dads traveling solo should not have to create makeshift change spaces for their kids while out.
