Most proctor suites in the yard do not have kitchens or private bathrooms, which can prove challenging when trying to assign all proctor families a suite adapted to their needs.

Dingman says even though proctor housing is not as flexible as he would like, proctor parents know what to expect when they move in on campus.

“We are very clear with the proctor candidates about what we have,” he says.

When informed by the FDO about incoming proctor families, Senior Manager of Harvard Yard and Freshman Dormitories Anthony Pacillo contacts the parents to address their needs on an individual basis. Some need extra bookshelves and dressers; others come with their own set of furniture.

Harvard Yard Operations also ensures the family suites are safe for children.

Massachusetts’ law prohibits children under six from living in a space with lead paint, which can be found in many of the older dormitories at Harvard. When a family is assigned a suite with lead paint on the walls, Yard Operations have to delead the entire suite before the family can move in.

Proctor families are not guaranteed the best suites on campus either. The FDO considers factors such as a proctor’s seniority and the quality of his or her work, according to Elm Yard Resident Dean Sue Brown. Page and Sky, who have been proctors for nine and five years respectively, are now living in suites that include a kitchen and a private bathroom.

Newer proctor couples are not always that lucky.

Emily S. Lin ’02 is a proctor for the first time this year. She lives in Canaday C with her wife Dawn E Slack, who is expecting a baby this spring. They share a bathroom with the rest of their floor, cook in Canaday’s common kitchen, and wash the dishes in their bath tub.

Lin and Slack say they hope they are going to be assigned to a suite better suited to their needs next year, but in the meantime they are prepared to raise a baby in a world of freshmen.

—Staff writer Ariane Litalien can be reached at alitalien@college.harvard.edu.