The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's campus in Research Triangle Park, N.C. has made the top 40 list of family-friendly places to work by Carolina Parenting, Inc. a magazine publisher in North Carolina. The annual recognition honors companies in North Carolina that adopt philosophies and policies to support working parents in their efforts to balance work and the demands of raising a family.

The EPA-RTP campus offers on-site child care services, financial assistance for child care, on-site nursing mother's rooms, flexible work schedules, leave bank program that enables parents to care for themselves or family members during illness, a fitness center, walking trails, and many other employee services. The EPA-RTP campus was nominated for the Carolina Parenting Family-Friendly Top 40 List by the local chapter of the Federal Women's Program because of its support for families in the workplace.

EPA and other recipients of the family-friendly recognition will be honored by Carolina Parenting, Inc .at a ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Cary, N.C. A list of the recipients will appear in the September issues of Carolina Parent, Piedmont Parent, and Charlotte Parent magazines, www.carolinaparent.com

"EPA is dedicated to helping employees balance their work and personal lives. By providing more flexibility and options for employees, we have improved retention of experienced staff and improved productivity, "says Bill Laxton, Director of Administration at the EPA-RTP campus.

The EPA-RTP campus is home to one of the world's largest groups of scientist engineers, policy makers, and administrators dedicated to understanding and solving environmental problems. Working together to protect the environment, EPA's 1,400 federal employees and 1,000 on-site contractors play a vital leadership role on the environmental issues throughout the nation and around the world.

EPA's missions at Research Triangle Park include:

• advancing environmental research
• improving the quality of our nation's air
• managing information and operations

EPA's professionals work together in state-of-the-art facilities that serve as a model for a safe, healthy and environmentally sustainable business operation.

For more information on EPA at RTP visit www.epa.gov/rtp/