Ed Price is used to changing diapers in the car.
Like many other husbands and fathers, Price, 41, knows the chances are slim that he’ll find a diaper deck in male restrooms when his 1-year-old needs changing. The situation was even more complicated when his twins, now 4, weren’t potty trained. It’s just far more common to find changing stations in women’s restrooms.
“Even if there is one in the men’s room, it is neglected or sitting on the ground not installed,” said Price, a lawyer from Michigan who frequently documents photos of broken changing stations on Facebook. “It’s comical how bad it can be.”
Fed-up fathers are taking to social media to share similar troubles. They often are relegated to changing soiled diapers on sidewalks, sink edges, and filthy bathroom floors. The issue is more than a matter of inconvenience: Families don’t feel they’re getting the privacy they need or that they can split parenting duties. And without a quick diaper change, babies can develop rashes or infections.
Congress isn’t considering legislation now, but President Barack Obama did sign a bill into law requiring federal buildings, from post offices to courthouses, to have changing stations in men’s restrooms beginning in 2018. Amid public outcry, California, Illinois, and New York required changing stations in men’s restrooms. Similar bills were introduced last year in the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Washington state.
All state measures, however, apply only to new buildings or those undergoing remodeling. That has helped policymakers avoid some of the backlash they might otherwise get from businesses worried about the cost or feasibility of installing changing stations, but it has also left lots of untouched territory when families shop or dine out.
Part of the reason the issue is getting more attention now is that fathers have become far more involved in child care. And as marriage laws have changed, a growing number of same-sex male couples and transgender people are raising children.
The difficulties faced by fathers gained particular attention in 2018 when Donte Palmer, 33, posted a photo of himself squatting and using his legs as a makeshift changing station for his son with the hashtag #squatforchange. The father of three, who lives in Florida, never thought his post would go viral.
“Now that I have the platform, I can speak out about it,” Palmer said. “That has made other fathers speak out about it.”
Soon after, Pampers recruited him alongside musician and father John Legend for a campaign to draw attention to the lack of changing tables in men’s restrooms.
Other organizations have gotten involved in the cause. In Arizona, Dignified Changes, a grassroots group of moms who have children with disabilities, successfully pushed for a law requiring new or renovated government facilities to have changing tables sturdy enough for older children and adults with disabilities.
Students for Life of America, a group that opposes abortion, advocates for more diaper decks on college campuses. Through its “Pregnant on Campus” initiative, its student groups often help schools raise money for the cause.
“Diaper decks are a really great way to be inclusive on campuses,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life. “You can be a parent and also continue on your educational track and fulfill your dreams.”
Businesses question whether the issue should be legislated. They raise concerns about costs, given that smaller facilities would have trouble installing a $200 diaper deck without also adding a bathroom remodel to their tab. Other facilities, such as casinos and nightclubs, don’t see why mandates should apply to them, given that they restrict minors from their premises. Finally, businesses are concerned about how enforcement would work.
“Does this mean that a public health official who does important work around food safety and inspections is now supposed to take time out of their busy schedule and be a bathroom monitor?” asked Stephen Clark, spokesman for the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.
“These ideas are certainly well-intentioned. No parent wants to be stuck when time comes to change a diaper, but this seems like government overreach,” he said.
Palmer, who founded the organization Squat for Change with his wife, Lakeisha, as a result of his viral hashtag, said he understands some businesses can’t participate. Through his advocacy work, he tries to encourage facilities to install changing stations rather than shaming them or calling for customer boycotts. He hopes shops and restaurants will see it as a good investment.
“Customers will stay longer, and they will come more often, if they know a place has changing tables and that it fits the family-friendly environment,” he said.
