Child care doesn’t start or stop at early education, it expands into our neighborhoods, it follows us through our cities and is woven into our society. It’s all around us, we just don’t always know how to find it.

As a young parent who vividly remembers changing her baby on benches, park tables and bathroom countertops, and hoisting a double stroller up a small flight of stairs, you start to recognize the places that do make it a little easier to exist in the world as a parent. Lessons that so many people learn by having to ‘make it work’- a concept that I truly think needs some work itself, because being a parent is hard enough to navigate and communities should do more to support that journey. To simply put it, when families thrive, our entire community benefits.

The City of Carlsbad is taking more than just baby steps to create that community of belonging through its new Family Friendly Business Certification Program.

Spearheaded by Mayor Pro Tem, Priya Bhat-Patel, the program recognizes businesses that do their part to create spaces that families feel welcomed- giving them a seamless customer experience. From changing tables and stroller access, to family friendly activities and atmosphere, certified businesses are letting parents know the relationship is more than transactional, it’s personal.

  “I think that a lot of times, parents will walk in and feel like they need to make their child sit down in a specific way or stay quiet or, you know, just eat a specific way. But I think that we have so many different spaces in our community that celebrate who we are as humans and people and our children.“

The program, administered by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, allows businesses to opt into the program and earn a bronze, silver or gold star rating. What makes this unique, is that businesses self-asses based on a provided rubric, allowing them to not only celebrate what they already have in place, but explore ways the add to a family-friendly atmosphere.

One of the first businesses to sign on to the pilot year of the program is Hotel Solea, a place that brings a family-friendly atmosphere to a luxury resort.

We spoke with Susan Lee, who oversees the Hotel Solea and then the Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa about what being family-friendly certified means to them.

“It’s about finding balance… It’s really going above and beyond and having these family friendly elements that will make their kids experience just as wonderful as their experience would be.“

From baby safe soaps to youth activity programming, Hotel Solea brings family friendliness to a luxury resort and spa creating a win-win experience for everyone, a program goal Carlsbad hopes more businesses will aspire to.

“There are different sectors that are going to be participating. So making sure that it’s not very rigid because we understand that a coffee shop is going to be different from a hospitality location…So really trying to make sure that we are tailoring it towards the business.”

Priya explained to me that the rubrics will be different based on the type of business participating, giving establishments a fair chance at earning their bronze, silver or gold star- an emblem that tells families, ‘come as you are’.

For children and families, this means that they will no longer have to learn by trial and error, or wait for recommendations from their friend or favorite mommy blogger about great places to be with your family. Soon, you will be able to search for Family-Friendly certified businesses throughout Carlsbad.

For businesses, not only does this encourage more foot traffic, but it celebrates spaces that are redifining what hospitality looks in a society that craves more connectivity between its’ community and family life.