North Carolina’s 10 Steps to Support Breastfeeding
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health (DPH) launched its first North Carolina Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Designations in January 2015, awarding the distinction to eight child care facilities. Child care facilities earn 1 gold-starred building block designation for every two steps implemented from The Ten Steps to Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care.
The ten steps are:
- Make a commitment to the importance of breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding, and share this commitment with fellow staff.
- Train all staff in the skills to support and promote optimal infant and young child feeding.
- Inform women and families about the importance of breastfeeding.
- Provide learning and play opportunities that normalize breastfeeding for children.
- Ensure that all families we serve are able to properly store and label milk for child care facility use.
- Provide a breastfeeding-friendly environment.
- Support breastfeeding employees.
- Ensure that each infant has a feeding plan that supports best feeding practices.
- Contact and coordinate with local skilled breastfeeding support and actively refer.
- Continue updates and learning about the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding.
Participating child care centers may receive up to a 5-starred building block rating. The selected centers (who are also part of the Child and Adult Care Food Program — CACFP) and their designations are:
- Abundant Life Children’s Center in Sanford, 5 gold-starred building block
- Kids’ Academy, Lumberton, 2 gold-starred building block
- University Child Care Center, Chapel Hill, 2 gold-starred building block
- Amy’s Ark Home Day Care, Robbinsville, 1 gold-starred building block
- Eliada Child Development, Asheville, 1 gold-starred building block
- Emily’s Family Day Care, Robbinsville, 1 gold-starred building block
- Onslow County Child Development Center, Jacksonville, 1 gold-starred building block
These facilities are to be commended for their efforts to promote, protect and support breastfeeding for the families they serve.
Learn more about the North Carolina Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Designation, including an informational webinar and online application. »