Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire: Leadership Transition Announcement, USBC Featured in WKKF Racial Equity Spotlight, and more

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Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire: Leadership Transition Announcement, USBC Featured in WKKF Racial Equity Spotlight, and more

11/2/2023

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Executive Director Transition Announcement
- USBC Featured in W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity Spotlight
- USBC Submits Letter for the Record for Senate Hearing on Paid Family and Medical Leave
- USBC Joining PUMP Act Live Stream Hosted by the National WIC Association
- SIDS Awareness Month Comes to a Close & Native American Heritage Month Begins
National News
- Call for Hospitals to Participate in CHAMPS National Hospitals Initiative
- WIC Day of Action
- Call for Committee Nominations for NASEM Study on Economic, Social, and Health Impact of Breastfeeding
- NASEM Seeking Experts to Serve on Food and Nutrition Board
State & Community News
- Model Legislation for State Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
- Massachusetts Bill Introduced to Require Insurer Coverage of Lactation Support and Supplies
- Texas Bill Introduced to Provide Paid Parental Leave to School Employees
Action Opportunities
Funding Opportunities
Upcoming Events
News & Views
Journal Publications

denotes a USBC member organization news item denotes a USBC-affiliated constellation news item

USBC Updates

Executive Director Transition Announcement

After four years of thoughtful leadership, it is with a heavy and grateful heart that the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee announces the transition of USBC Executive Director Nikia Sankofa. At the USBC, we embrace growth and change as vehicles to improve our capacity to serve the First Food field and advance our mission to drive collaborative efforts for policy and practices that create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States. We have appreciated Nikia's visionary leadership, innovative spirit, and incredible dedication to promoting justice in the vast and ever-changing landscape of infant nutrition. Nikia's final day with the organization will be Friday, November 3. As the USBC moves into the next phase, the Board of Directors and staff will work together to identify our next Executive Director. Please read the full announcement from the Board of Directors on the USBC blog. We wish Nikia well in all of her future endeavors!

USBC Featured in W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity Spotlight

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) published a spotlight titled "Organizational Journeys in Centering Racial Equity" featuring the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee. In it, five WKKF grantees share insights about centering racial equity in their organizational structures, practices, and operations, providing compelling examples of nonprofit organizations charting their own unique courses toward racial equity, and the challenges, successes, pain points, and joys experienced along the way. The USBC spotlight shares the story of the organization's decade-long journey to advance racial equity in maternal child health policy and practices, starting with its immediate sphere of influence within the organization, and then extending to its member organizations and partners. It also offers candid reflections useful for other collaboratives and networks similarly navigating the complexity of bringing diverse organizations together on a transformative journey.

USBC Submits Letter for the Record for Senate Hearing on Paid Family and Medical Leave

The Senate Committee on Finance hosted a committee hearing: "Exploring Paid Leave: Policy, Practice, and Impact on the Workforce," on Wednesday, October 25. The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee submitted a letter for the record demonstrating how a national paid family and medical leave program can help the United States increase breastfeeding rates and reduce health disparities. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to submit a letter for the record through Wednesday, November 8. Find instructions on submitting a letter on the hearing webpage.

USBC Joining PUMP Act Live Stream Hosted by the National WIC Association

Cheryl Lebedevitch from the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee staff team is joining the National WIC Association, the Center for Worklife Law, A Better Balance, and 1,000 Days for the "PUMP Act: Know Your Rights" webinar on Friday, November 3, at 12 p.m. ET. The event will feature information on protections under the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act and how workers can assert their rights under the law.

SIDS Awareness Month Comes to a Close & Native American Heritage Month Begins

As Safe Sleep and SIDS Awareness Month comes to a close this week, USBC is proud to be a partner in the NIH Safe to Sleep Campaign. The campaign works to inform parents, caregivers, healthcare and childcare providers, and others about ways to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related infant deaths, including through human milk feeding.

November is Native American Heritage Month (NAHM), a time to honor the rich diversity of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian cultures, traditions, and languages, and recognize the histories and continuing invaluable contributions of its people. By providing a platform for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian health organizations to discuss challenges and opportunities, we can all help move communities toward health equity and reduce disparities in breastfeeding rates. To help us amplify your resources in celebration of NAHM, please submit relevant materials that can be shared on the USBC website and social media channels.

National News

Call for Hospitals to Participate in CHAMPS National Hospitals Initiative

The Center for Health Equity, Education, & Research (CHEER) CHAMPS National initiative launched a call for hospitals interested in participating in the CHAMPS National Hospitals program. Participating hospitals will receive free training and support from a diverse team of interdisciplinary experts to safely implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. The program will support 100 hospitals, prioritizing those in regions with low breastfeeding rates and high rates of maternal and child morbidity and mortality.

WIC Day of Action

The National WIC Association, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, MomsRising, and the Coalition on Human Needs are hosting a WIC Day of Action on Thursday, November 2, mobilizing individuals and organizations to call on policymakers to fully fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Unless policymakers take immediate action, WIC will experience a funding shortfall early next year which will lead to some women and children being waitlisted for the program and/or their benefits being cut. Contact legislators by phone or email with the MomsRising action tools today or any day before Friday, November 17.

Call for Committee Nominations for NASEM Study on Economic, Social, and Health Impact of Breastfeeding

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) issued a Call for Committee Nominations for the NASEM Analysis of Breastfeeding Promotion, Initiation and Support Across the United States. NASEM will convene an ad hoc committee of experts to conduct a consensus study on policies, programs, and investments to better understand the landscape of breastfeeding promotion, initiation, and support across the United States. Using these suggestions, NASEM will build a committee of approximately 12-14 volunteer experts in addition to collecting information for potential speakers, participants, and peer reviewers for any publications resulting from the activity. The study will provide an evidence-based analysis of the macroeconomic, social, and health costs and benefits of the United States' current breastfeeding rates and goals; and will build on what is known about inequalities in breastfeeding rates and reducing racial, geographic, and income-related breastfeeding disparities. Nominations are due by Friday, November 17.

USBC Insight: Funding for this study was established in the Fiscal Year 2023 federal budget thanks to advocacy from the First Food field. The study will provide an opportunity to further demonstrate the economic and public health benefits of increasing breastfeeding rates and help make the case for investing in lactation support programs and addressing barriers to breastfeeding success.

Call for Nominations for NASEM Food and Nutrition Board

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is seeking suggestions for experts to be considered to serve as members of the Food and Nutrition Board. The Food and Nutrition Board studies issues of national and global importance on the safety and adequacy of the U.S. food supply, establishes principles and guidelines for good nutrition, and provides authoritative judgment on the relationships among food intake, nutrition, and health maintenance and disease prevention. National Academies staff will be looking to fill one (1) open seat on the board of approximately 15 total volunteer members. Expertise in the following areas is desired: resource economics, domestic and international food systems, and federal nutrition programs and policy. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, November 3.

USBC Insight: This nomination opportunity has the potential to further establish infant nutrition security as a public health and nutrition priority on a national and global scale.

State & Community News

Model Legislation for State Paid Family and Medical Leave Programs

A Better Balance and the National Partnership for Women & Families published an updated Model State Paid Family and Medical Leave Statute. The model bill incorporates best practices from years of implementation of comprehensive paid family and medical leave insurance programs throughout the country. Advocates and policymakers can refer to this model bill to aid in efforts to enact a strong paid family and medical leave program in their state.

Massachusetts Bill Introduced to Require Insurer Coverage of Lactation Support and Supplies

Massachusetts Representative Barber introduced An Act to increase access to lactation care and services (H. 946). The bill would require insurers to provide coverage for lactation support by licensed lactation care providers, the costs of breastfeeding equipment, and the performance of any necessary maternal and newborn clinical assessments.

Texas Bill Introduced to Provide Paid Parental Leave to School Employees

Texas Senator Johnson introduced SB 52. The bill would require each school district or open-enrollment charter school to adopt a paid parental leave policy under which a full-time employee of the district or school is entitled to paid parental leave. The bill would provide eight weeks of paid parental leave for an employee who is the primary caregiver of the child and four weeks of paid parental leave for an employee who is the spouse of the primary caregiver of the child. The bill would provide an allotment under the Foundation School Program for the cost of providing paid parental leave.