Indiana Governor Mike Braun has launched a new “Family First Workplace” pilot program that allows eligible state employees to bring their infants to work during the first six months of life. The pilot starts immediately in the Governor’s Office, the Indiana Department of Health, and the State Personnel Department.

The program builds on Braun’s expanded parental-leave policy, which added paid leave for new parents, childbirth recovery, and families grieving the loss of a baby. Braun said the initiative is meant to support parents on the job and encourage healthy early childhood development, calling the first months of bonding “irreplaceable.”

State officials say the policy includes safeguards to maintain safety and productivity. If the pilot is successful, the infants-at-work option could be expanded to more state agencies.