Vision
The Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities (BFFC) vision is a world in which communities make a commitment to equitable policies and practices to protect and promote the rights of all breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and human milk feeding families and to support all families to meet their breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and human milk feeding goals.
Mission
The mission of BFFC is to foster community-led breastfeeding family friendly communities globally by advocating for practices that support breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and human milk feeding, using a Ten Steps approach that complements and broadens the scope of the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF guidelines.
BFFC envisions support for all breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and human milk feeding families, inclusive of, but not limited to, their race, ethnicity, immigration status, national origin, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, primary language, ability, or socio-economic status.
Ten Steps to a Breastfeeding Family Friendly Community
- The community’s elected or appointed leadership has a written statement supporting breastfeeding that is routinely communicated to all.
- The community as a whole provides a welcoming atmosphere for chest/breastfeeding families.
- Optimal chest/breastfeeding is supported by health leadership.
- During pregnancy, all families in the community are informed about the benefits of chest/breastfeeding, as well as about the risks of unnecessary formula use, and where to access support as needed.
- Health care in the community is breastfeeding-friendly.
- Community chest/breastfeeding support groups and lactation services are fully available, including peer-to-peer lactation support providers, International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs), and other skilled chest/breastfeeding support.
- The businesses and organizations in the community welcome chest/breastfeeding families.
- Local businesses and healthcare clinics/offices follow the principles of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes.
- The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) maternity care and employment or, in the US, The US Business Case for Breastfeeding is promulgated by the government and the Chamber of Commerce or equivalent.
- Education systems, including childcare, K-12, colleges and universities, are encouraged to include chest/breastfeeding-friendly curricula at all levels.
Goals
We recognize that chest/breastfeeding is “The Great Equalizer,” impacting health equity outcomes at all ages and stages of life. BFFC seeks to provide access to chest/breastfeeding and human milk support for all families in our communities, as well as to advocate for policies that protect nursing families’ rights so that families may meet their own personal infant feeding goals.
Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities encourages families to hold healthcare providers accountable for top quality health care; help families find excellent prenatal care; and teach all families why chest/breastfeeding matters. We support national and international efforts for paid family leave and teach employers how to encourage and support breastfeeding families. We help families find businesses and organizations that understand lactation. We support the communities to make beneficial changes for all so that every family that wants to chest/breastfeed and provide human milk for their children will be able to for as long as the family chooses.
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