BookmarkBookmarkTickBookmarkAddCheckBoxFilledCheckBoxCircleBumpCheckedFilledMedical

Providence Mayor Ignites Debate by Bringing His Baby to Work

Some are wondering if there’s a double standard at play.
save article
profile picture of Laurie Ulster
By Laurie Ulster, Contributing Writer
Published September 9, 2019
dad at work on computer holding his baby
Image: Getty Images

Jorge Elorza, the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, has reignited the work-life balance debate by bringing his one-year-old son Omar to work with him.

Omar has been at official ribbon-cutting ceremonies, news conferences, school visits and closed-door meetings. He’s sat on his dad’s lap while Elorza testified at the Statehouse. In a video this past June, the mayor spoke to the press with Omar in hand, offering him a snack without interrupting his statement to the camera. You can hear the baby babbling during part of the interview with Public Safety Commissioner, but the news crews didn’t seem phased by it and afterwards even commented on Omar’s good behavior.

But while some are calling the mayor a role model, others are accusing him of using his baby as a prop to keep the media from being harsh with him. One Facebook commenter felt that it was “totally unprofessional” to have the baby at a press conference, and others continued the debate, with some supporting him and others insisting he uses the baby to make him more popular—a charge that would be unlikely if he were a woman, since women rarely find that babies make them more popular at work.

Elorza says his decision was a practical one. His wife is a law student, and they found day care costs prohibitive, even with a mayoral salary. "I don’t see how most families in our city can afford that,” Elorza told the Associated Press.

Many are applauding him for showing that childcare is a responsibility of dads as well as moms. There are growing movements across the country to allow parents to bring their young babies to work, especially nursing moms. Various states are encouraging programs for government employees, with most recommending that the practice end once the baby is 6 months old.

Still, it’s not an allowance that’s extended to all. Maribeth Calabra, president of the teachers union in Providence, tweeted that the mayor is getting special treatment, pointing out that teachers don’t have the same option, even when they have last-minute childcare issues.

City Council President Sabina Matos thinks there’s definitely a double standard at play. “I do think that if a female elected official was doing the same thing, the amount of pushback that we would be getting would be huge,” she said. “People would say that we’re not capable of doing both jobs.”

Elorza is not the first politician to bring a baby to work. In 2015, Argentinian politician Victoria Donda was both praised and criticized for nursing her baby during a parliamentary session, and an Icelandic member of parliament breastfed her baby from the podium a year later. Earlier this year, New Zealand Speaker Trevor Mallard presided over a debate while feeding his new baby a bottle—and received nothing but praise, so Matos may have a point.

save article
Article removed.
Name added. View Your List
ADVERTISEMENT

Next on Your Reading List

dad sitting at desk with baby
These Are the Best States for Working Dads in 2024, Report Says
By Wyndi Kappes
naomi osaka and bobbie campaign
Naomi Osaka Returns to Tennis With Message for Moms Chasing Big Dreams
By Wyndi Kappes
upset woman in her work office putting her head in her hands
Breastfeeding Moms Aren’t Getting Enough Support at Work, Survey Finds
By Nehal Aggarwal
ADVERTISEMENT
ryan reynolds talks about having three daughters and fatherhood
Ryan Reynolds Finally Opens Up About Baby No.3 and Being a Dad
By Nehal Aggarwal
actress amy schumer on going back to work
Amy Schumer Opens Up About Being ‘Afraid’ to Return to Work After Baby
By Ashley Edwards Walker
working mom sitting at her desk with her baby
Thanks to This Program, There’s No Excuse for Employers Not to Support New Moms at Work
By Stephanie Grassullo
medela and mamava team up to help working breastfeeding moms
Medela, Mamava Team Up to Support Breastfeeding Moms at Work
By Stephanie Grassullo
ADVERTISEMENT
mom writes letter to pre-school about sending her son off to preschool for the first time
Mom Blogger Returning to Work Pens Heartfelt Open Letter to Her Son's Daycare Workers
By Stephanie Grassullo
sad mom holding sad toddler child
Job Posting Stirs Backlash for Stating Parents of Young Kids ‘Need Not Apply’
By Stephanie Grassullo
woman working office late
Working Mom Explains What It’s Like to Forget to Kiss Her Kids Goodnight
By Stephanie Grassullo
ADVERTISEMENT
mom breastfeeding her new born baby
The Key to Breastfeeding Success Is Coworker Support, Study Says
By Ashley Edwards Walker
tammy duckworth proposing newborns be allowed in the senate when voting
The Senate Is Now a Baby-Friendly Workplace
By Anisa Arsenault
Woman using a hands-free breast pump at her computer
Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplaces May Soon Be the Law in California
By Anisa Arsenault
ADVERTISEMENT
Going Back to Work Checklist
Going Back to Work Checklist
By Kylie McConville
Checklist: Working Mom vs. Stay at Home Mom
Checklist: Working Mom vs. Stay at Home Mom
By Paula Kashtan
Q&A: How Do I Deal With Going Back to Work?
Q&A: How Do I Deal With Going Back to Work?
By Erin van Vuuren
Changing Work Schedule After Baby?
Changing Work Schedule After Baby?
By The Bump Editors
ADVERTISEMENT
Notes From a Stay-at-Home Dad Reveal What Really Goes on While Mom’s At Work
Notes From a Stay-at-Home Dad Reveal What Really Goes on While Mom’s At Work
By Kylie McConville
The Back-to-Work Guide for New Moms
The Back-to-Work Guide for New Moms
By Erin van Vuuren
6 Things I Loved and 5 More I Hated About Going Back to Work After Baby
6 Things I Loved and 5 More I Hated About Going Back to Work After Baby
By Danielle Koubaro
ADVERTISEMENT
Article removed.