Each year funding is allocated to a variety of federally funded programs that include breastfeeding support through the federal appropriations process. Appropriations for breastfeeding have helped build and strengthen critical programs and initiatives to improve maternity care practices, increase access to peer & professional support, ensure continuity of breastfeeding care, increase support for breastfeeding employees, and address disparities in breastfeeding rates. Funding relevant to the breastfeeding field are primarily included in the Labor-HHS and Agriculture appropriations bills. ​
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Historic Funding Levels for the Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding Program

  • FY2024: $9.75M
  • FY2023: $9.75M
  • FY2022: $9.75M
  • FY2021: $9.5M
  • FY2020: $9M
  • FY2019: $8M
  • FY2018: $8M
  • FY2017: $8M
  • FY2016: $8M
  • FY2015: $8M
  • FY2014: 8M
  • FY2013: $2.5M
  • FY2012: $7M

FY 2024/FY 2025 Appropriations: Current Status and What it Means for the Lactation Field

The Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) federal budget process is underway. View the Congressional Research Service Appropriations Status Table to access the appropriations bills and status. 
​
A detailed analysis of the funded provisions in the FY25 President's Budget and FY25 appropriations bills are included in the following charts. The appropriations bills and associated reports also include a variety of unfunded or one-time directives, which are shared in USBC blog posts. 

Program Funding

 

Connection to Infant Feeding

FY2024 Enacted

FY2025 President's Budget

FY2025 House Bill

FY2025 Senate Bill

FY2025 Enacted

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding

Funding for this program comes from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to support breastfeeding families in maternity care settings, communities, and workplaces. 

$9.75M

$9.75M

$9.75M

$9.75M

-

Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health

The REACH program works to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities through local, culturally appropriate programs, including breastfeeding support programs.

$68.95M

$68.95M

$38.95M

$68.95M

-

Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country

The GHWIC program includes increased breastfeeding as a long-term goal.

$24M

$24M

$30M

$24M

-

Safe Motherhood and Infant Health

Breastfeeding is included in the Perinatal Quality Collaboratives and Substance Abuse During Pregnancy programs within the SMIH program.

$110.5M

$118M

$110.5M

$116.5M

-

National Early Child Care Collaboratives

Through the NECCC program, CDC funds, trains, and assists in obesity prevention efforts in early childhood education (ECE) settings based on the Spectrum of Opportunities guiding framework which outlines how states can embed obesity prevention standards to ensure healthy eating, breastfeeding support, and physical activity.

$5M

$5M

$5M

$5M

-

Health Resources and Service Administration

Maternal and Child Health Block Grant

Breastfeeding is included in the MCH Block Grant National Performance Measures.

$603.58M

$603.58M

$608.58M

$608.58M

-

Healthy Start

The Healthy Start program implements community-based interventions to improve the health of mothers and children, including breastfeeding education.

$145M

$172M

$0

$145.25M

-

Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies

RMOMS supports grants to improve access to and continuity of maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities by increasing the delivery of and access to preconception, pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum services, including breastfeeding support.

$12M

$10.4M

$14M

$15M

-

National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) Initiative

The IMPROVE initiative supports research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve health for women before, during, and after delivery.

$53.4M

$43.4M

$0

$73.4M

-

Social Security Administration

Establishing a national paid family and medical leave program

The Budget proposes to establish a national, comprehensive paid family and medical leave program, providing up to 12 weeks of leave to allow eligible workers to take time off to care for and bond with a new child; care for a seriously ill loved one; heal from their own serious illness; address circumstances arising from a loved one’s military deployment; or find safety from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

-

$325B

-

-

-

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Pregnant and Postpartum Women Substance Use Disorder

Support for breastfeeding and lactation are included in some resources produced through this program.

$38.9M

$44M

$38.9M

$40.93M

-

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program

The WIC program provides supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk. 

$7B

$7.7B

$7.2B

$7.7B

-

WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program

WIC peer counselors are mothers in the community with personal breastfeeding experience who are trained to give information and support to new moms. 

$90M

$90M

$90M

$90M

-

Indian Health Service

Public Health Nursing (PHN) program

Public health nursing is the integration of nursing practice and public health practice applied to the prevention of disease and the promotion of health. The PHN Program works to decrease childhood obesity and prevent diabetes, including by supporting Baby Friendly re-designation, providing patient education, assessment and referral services and supporting online training on lactation for PHN staff.

$112M

$120.95M

$120.95M

$118.58M

-

Agency Funding

Federal Agency/Division

FY2024 Enacted

FY2025 President's Budget

FY2025 House Bill

FY2025 Senate Bill

FY2025 Enacted

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

$9.2B

$9.68B

$7.4B

$8.1B

-

Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity

$58.42M

$58.42M

$58.42M

$58.42M

-

Health Resources and Services Administration

$16.3B

$16.3B

$7.4B

$8.92B

-

Maternal and Child Health Bureau

$1.2B

$1.81B

$1.02B

$1.18B

-

U.S. Department of Labor

$13.7B

$13.9B

$10.7B

$13.8B

-

Wage and Hour Division

$260M

$294M

$235M

$267.5M

-

Women's Bureau

$23M

$26M

$0

$24M

-

Office on Women's Health

$44.1M

$54M

$34M

$44.1M

-

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality

$369M

$387.3M

$0

$376M

-

National Institutes of Health

$48.6B

$50.1B

$48.6B

$48.8B

-

National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development

$1.75B

$1.76B

$0

$1.78B

-

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

$455M

$488M

$0

$488.2M

-

Additional Resources

To learn more about Fiscal Year 2025 view the below blog posts:
Find additional appropriations updates in the following editions of the Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire newsletter:​​ ​
Learn more about the federal budget process.

General Appropriations Resources

Appropriations 101 Webinar

​Learn about the federal appropriations process, which focuses on how funding decisions impact human milk feeding. Although the majority of federal funding for breastfeeding is included in the Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill, lactation is woven into a variety of federal programs that we should expand our investments in. Watch now to see how you can contribute in the process.
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