Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Designation Program

Revised Application Coming Soon! Check Back for Updates

Background

The NC Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Designation (NC BFCCD) was administered at the NC Division of Public Health (DPH). The NC BFCCD recognized licensed child care facilities statewide that promote, protect, and support breastfeeding. A rating system was developed in which one gold-starred building block was awarded for achieving each of the five standards for breastfeeding-friendly child care. The five standards of the NC BFCCD included: 1) written policy; 2) community connections; 3) professional development; 4) environment; and 5) curriculum. The NC BFCCD integrated the Ten Steps to Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care from the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute (CGBI) at UNC-Chapel Hill into the five standards.

Check back for updates related to the future of the Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Designation.

10 Steps

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

Resources

• American Academy of Pediatrics - Breastfeeding Resources and Policy
• Breastfed Babies Welcome Here - Resources for operators of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (released November 2018)
• Breastfeeding and Child Care Programs: Meeting Best Practices, Providing Great Service
• NEW breastfeeding promotion and support posters now available for free download!
  • Breastfeed anywhere, anytime (ENGLISH version) (PDF, 1.5 MB)
  • Breastfeed anywhere, anytime (SPANISH version) (PDF, 1.5 MB)
• Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill
• Droplet - Learning your ABCs of breastfeeding that comes before D (delivery).
• Go NAP SACC Self-Assessment Instrument for Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding in the Child Care Setting
• Guide for Parents in Search of Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care (PDF, 137 KB) - This guide provides questions to pose before or during your tour of the program, as well as specific items to look for while on tour. These questions may help to ensure you find a child care program which is a good fit for you and your family.
• La Leche League International
• Let’s Move Childcare, Infant Feeding
• Medications and More During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding - Ask the Experts!
• New Mom Health: A Village for Mothers - For mothers and those who love them, the 4th Trimester Project team is proud to introduce NewMomHealth.com, the first postpartum self-care resource -- designed for moms, by moms.
• NC DHHS/DPH Environmental Health Section, Child Care Sanitation Rules
• NC DHHS/DPH Nutrition Services Branch, Help Me Be Healthy Birth to Six Months
• North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition
• Resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics for Parents and Families on Breastfeeding, Responsive Feeding, and Complementary Food Introduction
• The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, Breastfeeding Promotion and Support in WIC
• US DHHS, WomensHealth.gov, Breastfeeding
• USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Feeding Infants: A Guide for Use in the Child Nutrition Programs