Childcare and Preschool Awards

Breastfeed Orange NC Community Partner and Employer Award

We encourage you to apply for the Breastfeed Orange NC Community Partner and Employer Award. Child Care programs are community partners and employers, and it is a great place to begin your breastfeeding friendly journey. Breastfeeding-Friendly Community Partners are businesses and organizations that welcome breastfeeding families. Breastfeeding-Friendly Employers are workplaces that have made accommodations to support lactating employees. 

Local Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Designation

The local Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Designation is available in Orange County.

Why a local designation?

Many childcare programs are on the breastfeeding friendly journey and have completed a number of steps. However, to apply for the State designation, child care programs must be ready to show that they have achieved all Five Standards.

1. Written Policy
2. Community Connections
3. Professional Development
4. Environment
5. Curriculum

The local designation allows for the journey, offering technical assistance at every step to help you meet the requirements of the Five Standards.  APPLY for the local designation or contact us with questions or for technical assistance – Email: orangenc@breastfeedingcommunities.org or Text: 919-624-0230.

In addition to technical assistance, Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities of Durham and Orange County have set up digital folders (see below under “Where to start“) to help you on your journey.

Breastfeed Orange NC aligns with the NC Child Care licensing regulations and the state designation. When you have completed the local designation, you will have all the information you need to apply for the state designation.

State Designation

The NC Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Designation is available through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.  When you have achieved all Five Standards, you are ready to apply for the State designation.

• More Information: The NC Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Designation home page includes general and relevant information.
• Handout: There also is an informational one-pager created by the NC BFCC team that might be helpful.

Please contact us with any questions. We look forward to celebrating your work as a Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare.

Where to Start: 

Briefly review:

• The Self Assessment (up date with improvement)
• The Sample Action Plan 
• The Action Plan (fill this out as you read through the sections below and return to it at the end)

 Written Policy  

• Review your breastfeeding policy, or write one.
• Review your Breastfeeding Friendly Employer Policy, or write one. 
• Review/write your Infant feeding plan or use these from NC DHHS Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE).
  • Feeding plan
  • Plan de alimentación del bebé
• Review the Milk Storage Guidelines.
  • Check out the DCDEE Milk Storage Guidelines.
• Update your action plan steps 1,  3, 5, 6, 7, & 8  

Community 

• Create a list of lactation support providers in the community
  • Use the lactation support resources from Breastfeed Orange NC website, and 
  • Find culturally-appropriate educational materials, such as the CGBI Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Toolkit. 
• Update your action plan steps 3, 6, & 9. 

Professional Development: 

• Gather all your breastfeeding friendly professional development documentation (e.g., trainings, workshops) into one location.
• Online Training Options:The recommended online option is CGBI’s Breastfeeding University.
  • Completion of the free four online modules will total two hours of cumulative training. 
  • This might be a great time to have your staff do some online training. 
• Update your action plan steps 2 & 10. 

Environment:  

• Print the items in this folder, hanging them up in your breastfeeding-friendly space(s).
  • Note: Promotional  materials displayed cannot promote or advertise formula (be created by a formula company).
• Update your action plan steps 6 & 10.  

Curriculum:  

• Work on interactive and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that normalize breastfeeding for children in your program.
  • In the digital folder, there is a list of activities and materials that normalize breastfeeding (i.e., games, storytelling, books, toys).
• Update your action plan step 4. 

You are almost done!   

• Update your Self Assessment 
• Update your Action Plan 

We thank you for your interest in supporting breastfeeding families in our community! We are happy to assist in any way you may find helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact us (orangenc@breastfeedingcommunities.org).