As I sit down to reflect on our Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Bundle Project, I am filled with a whirlwind of emotions. It’s the summer of 2024, and I can’t help but think about the journey Breastfeed Durham has taken with childcare providers over the past six years. These relationships have been built on trust, perseverance, and a shared commitment to supporting breastfeeding families.
Our journey began back in the spring of 2020. We were so excited to have 32 childcare providers lined up to meet with us to become officially certified as Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Providers by the state—a prestigious and complex award. But then, the world changed. The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and that meeting never happened. Instead, we pivoted, creating the Building Blocks series, training childcare providers virtually alongside other programs across the state.
The pandemic brought unimaginable challenges. Childcare providers faced funding shortages, frequent closures due to illness, and state payment delays. It was a hard time, and most providers weren’t in the mindset to work on new certifications. But as we enter the summer of 2024, things have begun to change. With new funding available, we revisited our approach, framing our resources as gifts to the providers who had weathered so much.
Today, I forced myself to sit down and write about our Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Bundle Project, which has been consuming my thoughts for the past month. The project was made possible by leftover funds from county commissioners and a longer-than-expected grant process. This funding allowed us to produce and print resources and signage.
Real life: a photo of what my life as a community advocate looks like. Note the water bottles for the community event, the childcare bundles in the corner, the piles of cardboard boxes, the exhausted look on my face, and yes, that’s coffee in my hand. You can even notice a stack of leftover butter knives from the Breastfeed Durham gala in the right-hand corner, and the camping gear underneath the black bookshelf.
As I reviewed the “10 Steps to a Breastfeeding Family Friendly Community,” I realized that one area where we hadn’t made much progress was in breastfeeding education, particularly in preschools. This insight led to the creation of our breastfeeding-friendly curriculum bundle. Inside each bundle, providers found:
Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Bundle Contents and Costs
- Breastfeed Durham bag: $2-$5
- “Mama’s Milk,” a book about mammals feeding their babies (available in a bilingual board book version): $8-$12
- “All the World,” a charming story about a multi-racial family that includes breastfeeding as a natural part of life: $5-$8
- “Ziora’s Quest Mom’s Milk Rocks!”: $20
- “I Can Help with Our New Baby,” a bilingual girl picture book from LA Publishing: $0.99 each
- “We Nurse Around the World,” a bilingual mammal book from LA Publishing: $0.99 each
- Poster featuring diverse families (8 x 20 size): $9
- Tube for the poster: $2
- Childcare Provider Support Materials: self-assessment, sample policy, human milk feeding storage guidelines, with folder: $1
- The Durham Resource Guide, a comprehensive compilation of resources we’ve developed over the past six years: $15-$20
- A plush toy cat with nipples, anatomically correct for educational purposes: $25-$35
Prices varied depending on when we ordered.
Support Materials
The Resource Guide, in particular, has been a labor of love. It took over 14 months and at least 40 hours of work this month alone to bring it to its current form. The Guide includes everything from self-assessment tools and breastfeeding policies to storage guidelines and support resources. We found it best to print it as a 98-page full-color book, though for practicality, we also created three-ring binder versions.
Books
Figuring out the best books and resources was a journey in itself. We encountered issues with damaged books from online retailers, so we started ordering directly from publishers. Each decision, from the size of posters to the type of binders, was made with care to ensure the materials were practical and impactful.
Connecting with Providers
One of the biggest challenges was reaching out to childcare providers. We emailed, called, and even texted them, finding that a combination of these methods worked best. We also created a survey based on the CGBI self-assessment, hosted on our website, to streamline the process. The response was better than expected, and we learned to adapt our delivery methods as we went along.
Delivery
Delivering the bundles was a mix of excitement and anxiety. We divided the deliveries by ZIP code, managing about 20 in a day, which was more than we anticipated. Providers had the option to request setups for lactation spaces or receive training. Those interested in lactation spaces were more engaged, while others preferred quick drop-offs.
Despite the challenges, the project has been more successful than I could have imagined. We made more bundles than planned and spent more money, but it was worth it. Each bundle, every call, and every delivery required more brain power than I anticipated. I found myself losing sleep, worrying about the interest levels and the potential waste of resources. My spouse’s advice to make the resources evergreen reassured me—knowing that these materials could be used at events and given to families in the future.
Looking back, this project has been a testament to resilience and adaptability. The Resource Guide, in particular, stands as a symbol of our dedication. It was worth the effort to create something truly valuable, and I can already see other ways to utilize it.
Our journey with childcare providers in Durham is far from over. The relationships we’ve built over the past six years have laid a strong foundation, and this project is another step forward in supporting breastfeeding families. We are committed to continuing this work, knowing that every effort brings us closer to a community where breastfeeding is fully supported and celebrated.