Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Awardees Announced & more

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Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Awardees Announced & more

9/5/2025

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Become a USBC Member Today!
Special Section on National Breastfeeding Month
National News
- WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Awardees Announced
State & Community News
- Minneapolis Indigenous Breastfeeding Art Exhibit
Upcoming Events
News & Views
Journal Publications

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

USBC Updates

Become a USBC Member Today!

Are you part of an organization passionate about advancing breastfeeding policy and practice across the United States? Now is your chance to become part of the nation’s most unified voice for breastfeeding advocacy. Whether you're a national nonprofit, governmental agency, coalition, or community-based organization, we welcome you to explore membership with USBC. Here’s how to get started: Complete the USBC Membership Interest Form & Affiliated Coalitions Directory Request Form, the first step in our streamlined application process. Eligible organizations will be invited to submit their full membership application by Friday, October 31. As a USBC member, you’ll join a dynamic network committed to equity, collaboration, and meaningful change. Together, we’re expanding, deepening, and diversifying our coalition to better serve families nationwide. Explore our Membership Directory to see who’s already making an impact. Discover the Benefits of Membership and how your organization can contribute to and benefit from being part of the USBC Membership Network.

Special Section on National Breastfeeding Month

It's National Breastfeeding Month! The 2025 NBM theme is Forward Together. The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee and the lactation field are busy preparing activities, events, and celebrations. Join us as we take the time in August (and beyond!) for action, education, and celebration of our collective efforts. Share your organization's plans with us so we can amplify your work in the Weekly Wire and on social media, shop the USBC Store for official NBM merch, and make a donation to help support important campaigns like this one. Highlights from the field include:

Healthy Horizons: Nominations for the Healthy Horizons 8th Annual Lactation Room Contest are open until the end of Workplace Lactation Week (WLW), Sunday, September 7. Three organizations will win lactation equipment, furniture, services, and supplies for their workplace and lactating parents with a combined value of $20,500. Stay engaged with WLW on Facebook and Instagram.
Latinx/Latine Lactation Collective: The Latinx/Latine Lactation Collective announced that the theme of the 2025 Semana de la Lactancia Latina/ Latinx Breastfeeding Week is Territory of the Heart/Breastfeeding without Borders (Territorio del Corazon/Latancia sin Fronteras). The observance aims to uplift voices from the Latino/x community, and celebrate the diverse cultures and resilience of Latino communities. The collective also strives to bring awareness to the unique barriers faced by these communities and advocates for language justice. Semana de La Lactancia Latina is celebrated this year from Monday, September 8, through Sunday, September 14.

Breastfeeding Proclamations

Cumberland County, North Carolina: The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners proclaimed August 25-31, 2025, as Black Breastfeeding Week in Cumberland County, North Carolina.
Defiance, Ohio: Mayor McCann proclaimed the week of August 1-7 as World Breastfeeding Week in Defiance, Ohio.
New Jersey: Governor Murphy proclaimed August 2025 as Breastfeeding Month in New Jersey.
Redford County, Michigan: August 25-31, 2025, was proclaimed as Black Breastfeeding Week in Redford County, Michigan.
Wisconsin:
- Governor Evers proclaimed August 8-14 as Indigenous Milk Medicine Week throughout the State of Wisconsin.
- Governor Evers proclaimed August 15-21, 2025, as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week throughout the State of Wisconsin.
- Governor Evers proclaimed August 25-31, 2025, as Black Breastfeeding Week throughout the State of Wisconsin.

NBM News & Views

Black Enterprise: "What Does A Comprehensive Breastfeeding Policy Look Like In Action? Paid Leave, Lactation Laws, And Structural Change"
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: "Shapiro Administration Highlights Resources to Support Maternal and Infant Health as August is National Breastfeeding Month"
The Century Foundation: "Shaping the Future of Black Breastfeeding through Community-Led Policy"
The Chronicle of Mt. Juliet: "Breastfeeding Is 'Normal, Supported, Something to Be Proud of'"

National News

WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Awardees Announced

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service announced the WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Awardees. The award recognizes local WIC agencies that have provided exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support activities in an effort to inspire other local agencies to strengthen their breastfeeding promotion and support activities and ultimately increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates among WIC participants. The award is given at three levels of performance that build on one another: Gold, Premiere, and Elite. In 2025, there were 122 Gold Awards, 56 Premiere Awards, and 3 Elite Awards.

State & Community News

Minneapolis Indigenous Breastfeeding Art Exhibit

The Indigenous Breastfeeding Coalition of Minneapolis (IBCM) announced that entries are open for the first-ever IBCM Breastfeeding Art Exhibition, which will be hosted at the IBCM Annual Fall Gathering in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from Thursday, September 18, through Friday, September 19. To submit, you must identify as Indigenous, have breastfed your baby, and have an art piece that demonstrates what breastfeeding means to you. Art mediums include canvas, paper, beads, leather, sewing, photography, yarn, weaving, and textiles. Submit your art to [email protected] by Wednesday, September 17, to be considered.