Breastfeed Orange NC reached out to our Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board candidates for their insights on how our school district can support breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and human milk feeding families. We believe that creating a supportive environment for lactating families and employees in our schools is vital for the health and well-being of our children, families, and community.
Taylor Tally
Candidate for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education.
Below are Taylor’s responses to our four questions about ways to create a more breastfeeding-friendly school district.
Written Statement of Support
Do you support a written statement from the school board that actively supports breastfeeding and is routinely communicated to all stakeholders, including staff, parents, and students?
I do. I did a cursory search through the board archives and was surprised this sort of proclamation has not already been made. I am happy to help promote good health!
Welcoming Atmosphere
How do you propose that our schools create and maintain a welcoming atmosphere for nursing families?
Communication is key. A proclamation by the board is certainly a good starting point, but it should also be addressed in parent handbooks/guides each year. Since teachers have the best pulse on their students’ families, we should also enable them to pass along relevant information to families who have (or will soon have) infants in the household. Having designated private spaces for feeding/pumping is also essential for inclusivity.
Returning to Work
Support after returning to work is crucial for continued breastfeeding. Will you actively promote employment support for lactating employees in your role on the school board?
Absolutely. Support for our new parents is always important, but especially right now as we have a teacher shortage. These dedicated employees want to do their best for the schools and supporting them with extra breaks for feeding is worth it to have them back in the classrooms.
Normalizing Breastfeeding
How do you plan to advocate for and encourage the inclusion of breastfeeding-friendly curricula at all levels of education within our school district?
Annual health education curricula already are mandatory for K-12 students. While I haven’t reviewed our district’s lesson plans or materials, I believe adding age-appropriate lessons about breastfeeding should be an easy lift. Younger children would simply learn about the concept while adolescents could focus more on health implications, biological processes, and social history.
Check out all the posts in this series on the insights of our Board of Education candidates relating to lactation family friendly support in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.