304019
Carolina Ten Steps to Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care: Replication and scale-up
Health organizations recommend that mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months “to achieve optimal growth, development and health.” (WHO 2011) However, most mothers in the US are not exclusively breastfeeding at three months. Early Care and Education (ECE) providers play a key role in supporting breastfeeding mothers and children in their care. The Carolina Ten Steps to Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care was developed to support ECE providers. The positive results from a pilot study in one NC county warranted statewide scale-up.
APPROACH
Training and materials were developed in the pilot study and modified based on pilot study outcomes. Scale-up planning included: Collaboration with state-level organizations and agencies associated with child care; Development of a Training of Trainers (TOT) program; and Updated materials for statewide applicability.
RESULTS
Scale-up resulted in increased partnership with state agencies, including creation of a new State Designation that includes recognition of BFCC materials and training. Ninety trainers from across the state and covering a wide range of disciplines participated in the TOT. Preliminary data suggested increased breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes of the trainers. Challenges included maintaining the trainer pool, structuring trainings to meet child care program needs, and motivating ECE provider training attendance.
DISCUSSION
Breastfeeding provides lifelong benefits to the infant and mother, yet research has indicated that infants routinely cared for by someone other than their mothers are significantly less likely to be breastfed. Program support to overcome challenges to breastfeeding in child care can support mothers to succeed in breastfeeding.
Learning Areas:
Program planningPublic health or related education
Learning Objectives:
Describe the statewide Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care (BFCC) program scale-up approach.
Identify and discuss challenges to scaling-up the BFCC program.
Discuss lessons learned in BFCC program scale-up.
Keyword(s): Breastfeeding
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the director of the Ten Steps to Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care replication and scale-up project, as well as facilitator of the National Platform for Advancing Breastfeeding in Child Care.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.