On Natalie Horton's first day back to school after giving birth to her son Hendrix, she brought all the essentials: notebooks, pens —
"And diapers and change of clothes and everything that goes along with it," said Horton, a chiropractic student at Cleveland University Kansas City. "You definitely have to put your mom hat on as well as your student hat."
Instead of leaving newborns at daycare or quitting school altogether, new parents attending Cleveland Chiropractic College can get back in the classroom with their infants in tow.
Should colleges and universities allow new parents to bring their infants into the classroom?
— The Now KC (@TheNowKC) April 14, 2016
"If I wasn't able to do this, I would not be in this program," said Kylie Butler, a mother of three. "I know I will bring a lot to the table; I'm excited about that. I know there are a lot of women in my situation that, if they couldn't be flexible, if they couldn't have their kids with them, they wouldn't be able to make a difference in this world. That's a huge part of it."
Both Butler and Horton are students who have four-month-olds. In the weeks after they gave birth, Cleveland Chiropractic College allowed the new moms to bring their infants to class.
If they cried or needed a diaper change, the women took the babies into the hallway. Now Sloan, Butler's daughter, and Hendrix, Horton's son, attend the on-site daycare while their mothers are in class.
Allowing kids in the classroom and even the cubicle is a new trend some schools and workplaces are embracing because they know that, in order to stay relevant in a competitive environment, they have to find new ways to appeal to parents.
"They are going to be looking not just for what salary or wage they can get, but they are also looking at the benefits they can get, including childcare and the flexibility to have a schedule that allows them to take care of their kids," explained Jerry Hickey, owner of Express Employment Professionals.
His staffing company places job seekers into positions all across the metro, so he knows all about job trends happening right now.
"Happy moms makes happy employees," said Horton. "To increase productivity, I think allowing moms to attend to their children allows you to have happier workers."
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Terra Hall can be reached at terra.hall@kshb.com.