August 22, 2026
August is officially Arkansas Breastfeeding Month after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a proclamation recognizing the importance of breastfeeding for Arkansas families. The proclamation was developed in collaboration with Vivian Okanume, an extension program associate with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas High Obesity Program.
Okanume’s work includes helping early care and education centers create more supportive environments for breastfeeding families. Through this work, ArHOP is helping child care providers adopt breastfeeding-friendly practices that can make it easier for mothers to continue breastfeeding when they return to work.
The statewide recognition also brings attention to some of the challenges Arkansas mothers face, particularly limited lactation support in rural communities and workplace barriers. Arkansas Breastfeeding Month is an opportunity to recognize those challenges while highlighting the importance of community support for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.