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.
Meredith Ballew
Candidate for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education.
Below are Meredith’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?
As an enthusiastic former breastfeeding parent myself, I would be in favor of the school system having a clear written statement supporting breastfeeding staff and students and enumerating their rights to express and store milk in a safe, clean, and secure environment.
Welcoming Atmosphere
How do you propose that our schools create and maintain a welcoming atmosphere for nursing families?
I would support a district-wide policy that required all school properties to provide a secure, comfortable room (that is NOT a bathroom) with electrical outlets, access to a clean, working refrigerator, and sufficient time for breastfeeding teachers, staff and students to express and store their milk (and/or nurse, if needed) at regular intervals. I would also support education for district HR professionals and school counselors so that staff and students returning to school or work after parental leave are apprised of their breastfeeding-related rights under any applicable federal, state and local laws.
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?
I would be happy to promote employment support for lactating employees. I would hope that this support would be inherent in our school policies but would be in favor of strengthening existing supports for lactating employees (and students) if necessary. I believe that this support is not only integral to helping lactating parents continue to provide breastmilk to their offspring, but also would positively impact teacher and staff retention during a time of widespread shortages in the education field.
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?
I support including breastfeeding-friendly curricula as a part of students’ health/wellness education and believe that regular exposure to breastfeeding-related content helps to normalize breastfeeding in society.
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.