Become a Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Program
Thank you for your dedication and commitment to supporting families in our community! We would love to connect your childcare and preschool program with families! Apply for the Breastfeed Orange NC Community Partner and Employer Award. It is a great place to begin your breastfeeding friendly child care journey.
Why is Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Important?
Breastfeeding offers the best start for infants and young children, providing the important building blocks for optimal development. Families want to continue to breastfeed/chestfeed and provide their milk for their children after returning to work or school.
Childcare providers play an important role in helping families meet their infant feeding goals by WELCOMING FAMILIES:
- to breastfeed their children in school during drop-off and pick-up or at other times during the day AND
- to bring their expressed milk for feedings when they are not there.
Your lactating employees benefit from policies that welcome them to take breaks to feed their children or express their milk.
This might sound daunting! We have some resources to support you!
Webinar Series – Building Blocks of Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare
We are excited to offer the Building Blocks to Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare webinar series to help you on your journey!
Whether you are working towards the NC Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care designation or are just looking for ways to support your lactating families and employees, the Building Blocks of Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare ten workshop sessions will provide valuable information to help you create a Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care. Learn more about the webinar series and check out the videos at https://breastfeedorangenc.org/building-blocks-of-breastfeeding-friendly-child-care/!
Questions? Reach out to the Orange County partnership for Young Children (https://www.orangesmartstart.org/contact-us/) or the Breastfeed Orange NC team (orangenc@breastfeedingcommunities.org). We are here to help you!!
Additional Information and Resources
The Orange County Partnership for Young Children created a Breastfeeding Resource List of lactation support providers in Orange County for you to share with families. Having a list of community lactation resources to share with families is part of the Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care designation.
Breastfeed Durham has put together resources in digital folders that you can review and use in your work to become a Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Provider. Remember to check out the information inside each subfolder.
Early Care and Education (ECE) program resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The resources include:
- Breastfeeding and Early Care and Education – Examples of state and community efforts to help Early Care and Education Programs support lactating families;
- Supporting Breastfeeding Families in Early Care and Education – Ways that your program can support lactating families.
- Storage, Handling, and Preparation of Breast Milk in Early Care and Education (ECE) Programs – Storage and preparation information to maintain safety and quality.
The Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Designation
The North Carolina Division of Public Health Nutrition Services Branch manages the North Carolina Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Designation (NC BFCCD).
Applicants apply online (https://www.ncdhhs.gov/ncbfccdesignation).
The designation recognizes licensed child care programs that implement practices that promote, protect, and support breastfeeding. The initiative supports ongoing quality improvement toward facilities becoming 100 percent breastfeeding-friendly.