Is Your Child Care Provider Breastfeeding Friendly?

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{This is a sponsored post. All comments and statements are our own. We would not promote something that we did not believe to be true.}

The South Carolina Program for Infant and Toddler Care is excited to announce the statewide Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care designation program. This program is funded by the SC Department of Social Services Division of Early Care and Education and is free for licensed child care providers.

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South Carolina is making important strides to improve breastfeeding rates, especially during the prenatal and post-partum care. Many families are delivering their babies at Baby Friendly hospitals in SC and are discharged with a great deal of information supporting the choice to breastfeed. There is a disconnect, however, between leaving the Baby Friendly environment and joining the community at large.   It is important to carry that support through to the community setting to improve the health of mothers and babies in our state.

In an effort to support moms with meeting their breastfeeding goals at one of the most critical times, that is placing the baby in child care and returning to work, this designation provides programs and care teachers with breastfeeding information and ways to support breastfeeding families.  The Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care designation is governed by 10 Steps, each containing criteria for fulfillment.

The 10 Steps are as follows and each contain requirements to be met:

Step 1. Create a policy stating the importance of breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding, and share this commitment with fellow staff
Step 2. Train teaching staff in the skills to support and promote optimal infant and young child feeding
Step 3. Inform women and families about the importance of breastfeeding
Step 4. Provide learning and play opportunities that normalize breastfeeding for children
Step 5. Ensure that all families we serve are able to properly store and label milk for child care program use
Step 6. Provide a breastfeeding friendly environment
Step 7. Support breastfeeding employees
Step 8. Ensure that each infant has a feeding plan that supports best feeding practices
Step 9. Contact and coordinate with local skilled breastfeeding support and actively refer
Step 10. Continue updates and learning about the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding

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There are a handful of providers already designated and many more in the pipeline. These programs benefit from the designation because it leads to better daily attendance, healthier children, higher parent satisfaction and more public recognition. Please visit SCPITC.org for more information. Encourage your child care provider to pursue designation and to support breastfeeding moms by having them contact Lucie Maguire Kramer, MS, RDN, LDN at
[email protected] to get the ball rolling.