Community Partner and Employer Award

Thank you for your commitment to supporting families in Orange County! We celebrate our local businesses and connect them with families. We would love to connect your business to families in our community, too!

Complete the Community Partner and Employer award application to show your welcome and support for nursing families. 

Complete el Premio al Socio Comunitario y al Empleador para mostrar su bienvenida y apoyo a las familias lactantes.

Breastfeeding-Friendly Community Partners are businesses and organizations that welcome nursing families. Nursing families are looking for businesses that are breastfeeding. chest feeding, and human milk feeding friendly.

Breastfeeding-Friendly Employers are workplaces that have made accommodations to support lactating or nursing employees.  Lactating employees benefit from your support to meet their infant feeding goals. 

We want to celebrate your business! Apply today to receive the Breastfeed Orange NC Community Partner and Employer Award. Solicite hoy para recibir el Premio al Socio Comunitario y al Empleador de Breastfeed Orange NC.

You may be wondering about the impact of the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (“PUMP Act”) on your business. Providing support for lactating employees at work is good for business. Hundreds of companies already provide lactation support programs as part of their family friendly benefit policies. Employers have learned that lactation support programs produce a positive return on investment and have been shown to:

  • Lower health care costs due to healthier babies and parents.
  • Reduce rate of absenteeism due to infant illness (among both mothers and fathers).
  • Lower turnover rates.
  • Improve employee productivity and loyalty.

Human milk supports an infant’s optimal growth and development. In addition to providing the right amount of nutrients for growing babies, it helps to protect them from many illnesses and diseases. Breastfed babies are healthier and need fewer visits to the doctor. Providing policies and practices that support employees to continue to breastfeed, chestfeed, and human milk feed after returning to work goes a long way towards supporting healthier employees and families!

Learn more about the PUMP Act from the US Department of Labor (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pump-at-work). The website provides resources, general guidance, and additional information to provide support.

Still have questions? Please reach out: orangenc@breastfeedingcommunities.org

Resources To Support You!

  • The Breastfeed Orange NC Community Partner & Employer Designation Information Sheet is a great place to start. The page includes helpful links to:
    • U.S. Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act,
    • Office of Women’s Health: Business Case for Breastfeeding toolkits and resources, and
    • NC Department of Health and Human toolkit.
  • The Information Sheet is available as a pdf too. Click here for a pdf version to download.
  • Looking for a policy sample? Check out this lactation support policy sample from Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities.
  • Apply for the award / Solicite el premio

Additional Helpful Information