The Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities initiative began in Carrboro – Chapel Hill with the support and coordinated efforts of a representative team from the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute (CGBI), the Chapel Hill Rotary Club, the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill, La Leche League of Chapel Hill, and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, and later expanded to include Orange County Health Department, Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition and others in and around the area. The Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities development was led by CGBI at the request of Baby-Friendly USA and the international World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA). Currently, the initiative is led jointly by representatives from Orange County, CGBI, La Leche League, and the North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition.
During National Breastfeeding Month 2015, the Mayors of Chapel Hill and Carrboro launched an initiative to become the first Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities. They announced their intent to support the Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities effort. The launch of this effort was held on August 10, 2015 at the Oasis Café in Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro, with a reception and presentation of plaques indicating each city’s Certificate of Intent.