Child Care and Breastfeeding

Resources for childcare providers

Childcare providers can be a champion for lactating parents by supporting them when they return to work or school. They can make a commitment to support breastfeeding/chestfeeding by providing a supportive environment, written policies, staff training, proper storage and handling of human milk, and resources for families.

Guidance and Tools to Support Lactation

How to Support Breastfeeding Mothers and Families: A Simple Guide for Child Care Providers (10-minute video)

Fact sheets with tips and examples to meet national standards for supporting lactation (CDC).

Healthy Kids, Healthy Future: Resources to support breastfeeding
Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Toolkit – Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute (CGBI)
Resources and steps that childcare providers can follow to provide support for breastfeeding/chestfeeding families, including sample policies.
Breastfed Babies Welcome Here!

Communication tools Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) operators can use to let families know that breastfed babies are welcome at their childcare site.

Staff Training Resources

Better Kid Care, free on-demand modules through Penn State Extension

Healthy Kids, Healthy Future: Support Breastfeeding Childcare providers can learn practical solutions for encouraging and supporting parents to breastfeed their babies.
Taking Steps to Healthy Success: Breastfeeding Support Explore how to support families, learn best practices for infant feeding and how to identify and implement improvement areas.

Storage and Handling Human Milk

Feeding Tips for Breastfed Babies (Child and Adult Care Feeding Program)
Proper handling and storage of breastmilk (CDC)

Fact Sheet - Storage, Handling, and Preparation of Breast Milk in Early Care and Education (ECE) Programs

What if a child is mistakenly fed another person's expressed milk?
Are special precautions needed for handling human milk?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not list human milk as a body fluid that requires special handling precautions. On-the-job exposure to human milk has not been shown to spread HIV or HBV infection. (Source: CDC)

Resources for parents

Take the time to find a childcare provider that supports breastfeeding/chestfeeding.

There are many good reasons to continue to breastfeed/chestfeed your baby when you return to work or school. When you interview childcare providers, ask what policies they have in place to support lactating parents.

How Your Child Care Provider Can Support Breastfeeding (2:10 video)
Seeking Support for Breastfeeding at Work and Child Care: A Parent Guide (video)
Checklist for Choosing Breastfeeding-friendly Child Care (pdf)
Provides tips when looking for a breastfeeding/chestfeeding friendly childcare provider