Breastfeeding Policy

Policies help clarify program practices.

Having policies related to breastfeeding support will ensure that child care providers and families have the same understanding of program requirements and procedures. To achieve this, it is important that all employees understand and follow the same policies. Written policies are also helpful when explaining to parents how your program operates. Below you will find resources that will help you set breastfeeding policies in your home or center.

Best Practices

The resources on this page can help child care programs reach all of the following best practices:

  • “Always communicate the breastfeeding policy to expectant mothers, families of infants and visitors.”
  • “Create and maintain a written policy for promoting breastfeeding and supporting breastfeeding families that is available and followed.”

Resources to develop breastfeeding policies:

  • Action Guide: For Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies

Summary: A guide for creating policies including rationale, steps for creating policies, and policy recommendations.
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education
Access: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sde/nutrition/cacfp/ccpolicy/child_care_action_guide.pdf

  • Caring for Our Children Basics

Summary: Outlines a set of voluntary, foundational health and safety standards for early care and education programs. Based on best practices, these standards are designed to help protect children and support their healthy development in child care settings.
Source: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, Administration for Children and Families
Access: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/new-occ/resource/files/Caring-for-Our-Children-Basics.pdf

  • Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments

Summary: Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the Go NAPSACC assessments opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the health best practices are and how to reach them at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas

  • Healthy Beverage Consumption in Early Childhood: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition

Summary: The CDC’s Early Childhood Nutrition: Resources page contains toolkits and resources to help advance nutrition, including through breastfeeding, in child care settings.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://healthyeatingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/HER-HealthyBeverage-ConsensusStatement.pdf

  • Healthy Kids, Healthy Future

Summary: Click on the "Support Breastfeeding" circle to get information about how to support breast feeding in a day care setting as well as tips for setting up a breastfeeding area. Use the menu to the left to find more activities and resources.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/support-breast-feeding/  

  • Sample Child Care Center Breastfeeding Policy

Summary: A sample policy to promote breastfeeding in child care centers.
Source: Florida Breastfeeding Coalition
Access: http://flbreastfeeding.org/pdf/SampleChildCareCenterBreastfeedingPolicy.pdf

  • Sample Policy for Breast Feeding at Child Care

Summary: A sample policy to promote breastfeeding in child care centers
Source: Arizona Department of Health Services
Access: https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/nutrition-physical-activity/empower/forms-sample-policies/empower-sample-policy-standard-3.pdf 

  • Sample Policy: Supporting Breastfeeding in the Child Care Setting Parent Handbook

Summary: Sample policy that can be included in the infant/child feeding section of a parent handbook.
Source: Michigan Breastfeeding Network
Access: https://mibreastfeeding.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BF-Friendly-Child-Care-Parent-Handbook.pdf 

  • Ten Steps to Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Centers Resource Kit

Summary: A resource kit to promote breastfeeding in child care centers in 10 simple steps.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services
Access: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p0/p00022.pdf

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