Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - National Breastfeeding Month updates & more

The USBC e-Newsletter, Staying Abreast, is published in a weekly news brief format, called the Weekly Wire (WW). Past issues are archived below.

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Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - National Breastfeeding Month updates & more

7/11/2024

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Official National Breastfeeding Month Merchandise Available for a Limited Time!
- W. K. Kellogg Foundation Highlights USBC in Racial Equity Spotlight
- Webinar Recording on Supporting Lactating Students Under Title IX Now Available
- Share NBM Resources, Events, & News for USBC Amplification
National News
- Maternal and Infant Health Mapping Tool
- Digital Resource on Complementary Feeding Interventions
- Issue Brief on Equitable Implementation of Paid Leave Programs
State & Community News
- Rhode Island Bill Extending Paid Family & Medical Leave Signed Into Law
- New York State Bill Introduced on Breastfeeding Support for Incarcerated Mothers
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

Official National Breastfeeding Month Merchandise Available for a Limited Time!

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee released the 2024 National Breastfeeding Month official merchandise in the USBC store. Find coffee mugs, tote bags, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and other apparel featuring this year's National Breastfeeding Month theme, Nourish, Sustain, Thrive. A portion of each purchase supports the USBC mission to create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States. To make an even bigger difference for moms, babies, and families, shoppers can opt to provide a donation at checkout. Shop today to have your items arrive in August, and thank you for supporting the USBC this National Breastfeeding Month!

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

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation released a content brief as part of their new Racial Equity Spotlight series titled, "U.S. Breastfeeding Committee: Building racial equity capacity within an extended network." The series gives an insider’s view to a wide variety of WKKF grantee partners who are committed to transforming their internal practices and ways of being to strengthen their work in support of children and families. The publication describes the decades-long journey USBC has embarked on to advance racial equity in maternal and child health.

Webinar Recording on Supporting Lactating Students Under Title IX Now Available

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee released the recording for the "New Rights for Lactating Students: Supporting Lactating Students Under Title IX" webinar. Beginning in August 2024, students will have the legal right to lactation breaks, space, and other accommodations. To help education institutions, lactation support providers, and advocates understand what the new protections mean for lactating students, this webinar offers an overview of the new legal obligations as well as practical solutions for educational institutions looking to add lactation spaces and other supports for their employees and students. This educational opportunity was presented by the USBC-affiliated Workplace Support Constellation and co-hosted by BreastfeedLA, the California Breastfeeding Coalition, the Center for WorkLife Law, Every Mother, Inc., HealthConnect One, the Healthy Children Project, Healthy Horizons Corporate Lactation Services, the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition, MomsRising, the Ohio Breastfeeding Alliance, and the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee.

Share NBM Resources, Events, & News for USBC Amplification

The USBC invites you to submit your organization's news, updates, or events for consideration to be included in the Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire newsletter or other USBC communications channels. Beginning next week, the newsletter will feature a Special Section on National Breastfeeding Month, sharing media coverage, breastfeeding month proclamations, action opportunities, and local events being hosted across the United States. Share your news items today so that we can help amplify the impact of your efforts!

National News

Maternal and Infant Health Mapping Tool

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration hosts the "Maternal and Infant Health Mapping Tool." The tool is designed to help federal, state, and local decision-makers and others visualize factors that affect maternal and infant health, understand needs, plan programs, and target resources. The tool allows users to map maternal and infant health indicators, including breastfeeding initiation, using publicly available data sources at a county or location-specific level. Visit the "Using the Maternal and Infant Health Mapping Tool" webpage for written instructions and video tutorials on utilizing the mapping tool.

Digital Resource on Complementary Feeding Interventions

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released the "Helping Children Thrive Through Complementary Feeding: Guidance for professionals who empower caregivers to make informed decisions about healthy feeding from the start" digital resource. The resource organizes the insights from the "Complementary Feeding Interventions for Infants and Young Children Under Age 2: Scoping of Promising Interventions to Implement at the Community or State Level" consensus study report, helping professionals make informed decisions based on their setting or program.

Issue Brief on Equitable Implementation of Paid Leave Programs

The U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau released the "Paid Leave: Equity in Implementation" issue brief. The Women's Bureau held a series of meetings with state paid family and medical leave administrators to learn how they are assessing and improving equity in access and usage of state paid leave programs. In addition to the conversations with state administrators, the Women's Bureau reviewed publicly available information including state paid leave program websites and reports. The issue brief provides an overview of paid leave implementation practices for increasing equity. Lessons learned from implementation in these states can inform existing and new paid leave programs at the state and national levels.

State & Community News

Rhode Island Bill Extending Paid Family & Medical Leave Signed Into Law

Rhode Island Governor McKee signed Rhode Island Senate Bill 2121 into law. The law enhances the state Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) program, which provides eligible claimants with caregiver benefits to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, parent-in-law or grandparent, or to bond with a newborn child, new adopted child or new foster-care child. The new law increases the maximum benefit duration from six to eight weeks. Starting January 1, 2025, workers will have access to seven weeks of paid leave, with the duration increasing to eight weeks beginning on January 1, 2026.

New York State Bill Introduced on Breastfeeding Support for Incarcerated Mothers

New York State Senator Salazar and Representative Rosenthal introduced New York Senate Bill 9817/Assembly Bill 3483B. The bill would require the provision of breast pumps and related collection and storage materials to all mothers who are confined in or committed to an institution or local correctional facility; allow children to remain with their mothers in a correctional institution until twenty-four months of age, or longer in certain cases related to parole; and require the commissioner of corrections and community supervision to issue an annual report on data relating to incarcerated mothers.