Our Story
J.L. Childress came to life out of necessity
Over 30 years ago, a working mother was determined to both work and breastfeed her child. This challenge inspired her to design a tote bag to carry her breast pump (the Express Bag) and a separate, insulated bag with reusable ice pack (the DuffleCOOL) to care for the milk until she arrived home. These products were successfully marketed through limited budget and sheer determination in the truest guerilla sense: directly & personally to other working mothers.
Our Founder
Jan Childress built a long-lasting company while juggling a family and a full-time job in a day and age where this was unheard of, and in an industry that was relatively small and incredibly competitive. The rest is a history of hard work and determination, centered on developing products that are “functional in design for practical parenting.” These products make up the brand known as J.L. Childress, a leader in the juvenile product industry worldwide.
A Continued Family Legacy
The company has extended into the next generation as Jan’s daughters, Kate and Sarah, both mothers themselves with previous careers in corporate marketing, now co-own the company and run its daily operations. Kate and Sarah continue the success of the company by focusing on the backbone of the brand: product development. With more than 40 products that are designed by our team in Southern California, refined by our valuable panel of J.L. Childress MVP’s (Most Valuable Parents) and expansively distributed both in the U.S. and worldwide, the company continues to innovate and grow.
