Resources for Childcare Providers

Becoming a Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Program

Thank you for your commitment to supporting families in the community! Breastfeed Orange NC celebrates the support of our local organizations and businesses and are delighted to be able to connect them with families. We would love to connect your childcare and preschool program with families in our community, too!

We encourage you to apply for the Breastfeed Orange NC Community Partner and Employer Award, because Child Care programs are businesses and it is a great place to begin your breastfeeding friendly journey. Community Partners are businesses and organizations welcome breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and human milk feeding families. Employers provide accommodations to support lactating employees, such as break time and a space to nurse or express milk. 

The Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Designation

Local Designation: Technical Assistance and Local Promotion

The Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare designation is an important way to ensure that your programs and policies are welcoming and supportive. Completing the designation also is a journey, and Orange County Partnership for Young Children and Breastfeed Orange NC would like to help you on your journey as you prepare for the NC Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Designation. The local designation includes technical assistance to help you fulfill the designation standards. You can request assistance for each standard. APPLY for the local designation.

State Designation

The North Carolina Division of Public Health’s Nutrition Services Branch has recently announced that the North Carolina Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Designation (NC BFCCD) is available again and accepting applications. Applicants can now apply online. Please see the article in the NC Department of Health and Human Services newsletter for additional information about the revised NC BFCCD application.

Why is Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Important?

Childcare providers play an important role in helping families meet their breast/chestfeeding and human milk feeding goals. Many families need to return to work before milk production has been successfully established or they have difficulties maintaining milk supply after returning to work or school. A Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare program can offer families policies and practices that encourage the family to continue and resources to help them overcome challenges.

Additional Information and Resources

Orange County Partnership for Young Children created a Breastfeeding Resource List of lactation support providers in Orange County for you to share with families. A list of community resources 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. 

We are excited to offer recordings of the Building Blocks to Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare webinars. Begin with the Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care an Overview, then focus on specific topics. The webinars provide info on: Creating/Re-writing a Breastfeeding Policy; Breastfeeding and the Whole Center; Breastfeeding in the Classroom pt 1 – Environment; Breastfeeding in the Classroom pt 2 – Curriculum/Learning Activities; Feeding Infants/Toddlers; Communicating with Families about Breastfeeding; Creating a Lactation Space; Applying for Breastfeeding Friendly Designation; and Reviewing your Center Breastfeeding Policy. The webinar series also will be coming soon to the NC DCDEE Moodle platform!

Coronavirus Information for Child Care