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Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare
Kids Blowing Bubbles

Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care 

The New Hampshire Breastfeeding Task Force aims to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding. With the recent implementation of the Break Time for Nursing Mothers Law under the Affordable Care Act and the 2011 release of the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding Women, more and more women are choosing to breastfeed their baby. When child care programs become strong partners and advocates in encouraging and supporting mothers to continue to breastfeed, the benefits to families are enormous.

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Purpose of the NH Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Award

Child care programs themselves also benefit from the improved health status of the children in their care. Knowing that you actively support and encourage breastfeeding mothers and babies could lead to families choosing your program over others and could make a key difference in a mother's decision to initiate and continue to breastfeed her baby.

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Award Eligibility

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All NH licensed child care programs are eligible to apply for the Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Award. See below for more details.

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What is the benefit to being designated as a Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Program?

When child care programs become strong partners and advocates in encouraging mothers to continue to breastfeed, the benefits to families are enormous. Child care programs themselves also benefit from the improved health status of the children in their care. As a designated breastfeeding friendly child care program, your facility will be even more attractive to prospective parents. Knowing that you actively support and encourage breastfeeding mothers and babies could lead to families choosing your program over others — and could make a key difference in a mother's decision to initiate and continue to breastfeed her baby. 

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A child care setting that is Breastfeeding Friendly:

  • Provides an atmosphere that welcomes breastfeeding families with breastfeeding promotion messages and designated spaces to nurse or express milk

  • Helps mothers continue to breastfeed when they return to work or school

  • Makes breastfeeding resources and referrals available to parents

  • Feeds infants on demand and learns individual hunger cues

  • Coordinates feeding times with parent's pick up and drop off schedule

  • Trains staff so they are able to support breastfeeding parents and children

  • Has a written breastfeeding policy that is followed by staff and shared with families

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If you think your NH licensed child care program is Breastfeeding Friendly, complete the following information and the self-assessment below. 

Programs that answer “Yes” to all questions and whose enclosed documents support breastfeeding will be awarded a certificate, a magnet with breastfeeding storage guidelines, and a “Breastfeeding Welcome Here” window cling, which designates the center as a Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care program and allows others to see your commitment to breastfeeding. The certificate and recognition is valid for two years. Programs may then submit a renewal self-assessment form.

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Questions and completed applications can be emailed, faxed or mailed to:

Attention: Kristina Thompson, IBCLC
NH Department of Health and Human Services
Division of Public Health Services
29 Hazen Drive Concord, NH 03301

Phone: 603-271-4545
Fax: 603-271-4779

kristina.l.thompson@dhhs.nh.gov

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Checklist for Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Award

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1. Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Self-Assessment (below)

2. Signature from Center Director on Self-Assessment (below)

3. Copy of your Program's breastfeeding policy

4. Copy of professional development certificate from training on breastfeeding promotion and support (Minimum of one person from your center must have completed a minimum 1 hour training (in-person or online) within the past two years)

5. Sample of a printed breastfeeding education material (i.e., brochure, handout, magazine) distributed at the center. Please send a minimum one sample.

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Please allow 6 weeks for review.

Please mail or email the required information to the contact listed below. Or if you are not ready to apply but would like more information, please email or call the number below.

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New Hampshire Breastfeeding Task Force Child Care Friendly Award Application

Please fill out all fields of the following form in order to submit

Please check one of the following:
1. Our center has breastfeeding promotion messages (e.g. posters, brochures) on display.
2. Our center has learning and play materials that normalize breastfeeding for children in the classroom.
3. Our center has accurate written materials on breastfeeding topics (not from formula companies) available for all parents. If yes, please include a sample brochure/handout with application.
4. Our center invites mothers to visit throughout the day to breastfeed their babies.
5. Our center welcomes breastfeeding anywhere in the facility.
6. Our center has a designated private space (not a bathroom), if desired, for mothers (including staff) to breastfeed or express milk.
Our center’s designated private space for breastfeeding mothers includes the following (please circle all that apply):
7. Our center has designated space in a refrigerator and freezer for breast milk storage.
8. Our staff members are provided with flexible breaks to accommodate breastfeeding and/or expressing milk at work.
9. Our center helps mothers continue to breastfeed their babies when they return to work or school by coordinating feeding times with the mother and infant’s normal feeding schedule.
10. Our center feeds infants on demand based on the infant’s hunger cues, with full effort to avoid unnecessary waste of expressed breast milk.
11. Our center is aware of breastfeeding-related community resources (i.e., support groups, lactation consultants, NH Breastfeeding Resource Guide) and refers moms as appropriate.
12. Our center has received professional development training (i.e. in-person or online staff training for contact hours or continuing education credits) on promoting and supporting breastfeeding within the past two years.
13. Our center has a written policy that reflects the center's commitment to breastfeeding.
14. Our staff follows the written breastfeeding policy mentioned in Question #13.
15. Our center shares the above-noted written breastfeeding policy with families who have infants.
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Thanks for submitting!

Recognized Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Centers

2023: 

  • Beckam's Childcare Center, Barrington

  • The ARK Learning Center, Hooksett

  • The ARK Learning Center, Londonderry

  • The ARK Learning Center, Tilton

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2022: 

  • ABC's Child Care Center, New London

  • Applewood Learning Center, Londonderry

  • Kidlogic Early Learning Center, East Kingston

  • World Academy, Nashua

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2021: 

  • Sunrise Children's Center, Amherst

  • The Children's Learning Center at Cheshire Medical Center, Keene

  • A Place to Grow, Brentwood

  • Head Start and Early Head Start, Concord

 

2020: 

  • World Academy, Nashua

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2019:

  • ABCs Child Care Center, New London

  • Childhood Quality Matters, Nurture & Nature Children's Center, Newfield

  • Educare Daycare and Learning Center, Goffstown

  • Kidlogic Learning Center, East Kingston

  • Sunrise Children's Center, Amherst

  • Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties Inc.

  • Applewood Learning Center, Londonderry 

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2018

  • Rise for Baby and Family, Keene

  • The Children's Learning Center at Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Keene 

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2017

  • Harris Family Children's Center, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter 

  • The Whole Child Center, Tilton

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2016

  • A Place to Grow, Brentwood

  • Applewood Learning Center, Londonderry

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2015

  •  Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties Early HeadStart/ HeadStart/ Community Child Care, Concord & Laconia

  • Child & Family Development Center, Concord

  • Little Tree Education, Madbury

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2014

  • The Learning Path, Salem

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