Weekly Wire: Funding Opportunities, Upcoming Webinars, and 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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Weekly Wire: Funding Opportunities, Upcoming Webinars, and more

2/3/2023

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Call for New Members!
- June USBC Conference: Save the Date & Hotel Reservation Link
- Reminder: PUMP For Nursing Mothers Act Briefing
- Call for Submissions: Black History Month & Breastfeeding
National News
- CDC Notice of Funding Opportunities for SPAN & HOP
- AHRQ Sentinal Event Alert on Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
- NICHQ Webinar on the Impact of the PUMP Act
- WIC Community Innovation and Outreach RFA
- CAP Article on the PUMP ACT
- Virtual Dialogue on American Indian and Alaska Native Maternal Deaths
- Webinar: Teaching MCH Policy & Advocacy
News & Views
Journal Publications

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

USBC Updates

Call for New Members!

Has your organization or coalition ever considered joining the USBC membership network? The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding specifically named the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee as a key actor in advancing policy, systems, and environmental changes that will support breastfeeding and human milk feeding in the United States. The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee membership represents the most unified voice in breastfeeding advocacy, bringing together more than 100 organizations that support the USBC mission to drive collaborative efforts for policy and practices that create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States. Join us today! As a member, your organization will receive:

Complimentary membership to BoardSource, the leading educational resource for nonprofit governance and board service
Complimentary access to the First Food Connection Hub, the new USBC online community for breastfeeding and human milk-feeding stakeholders
Opportunities to expand your network, including through exclusive peer-sharing and networking sessions
Discounts on events...and so much more!

Complete the membership application and onboarding process by Sunday, March 12, to enter your organization into a raffle to win one complimentary registration to the National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening.

June USBC Conference: Save the Date & Hotel Reservation Link

The USBC is hosting its first in-person conference since 2019 this June in Bethesda, Maryland! Join us June 8-10 at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda for the National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening, where we will come together to learn and connect. The theme this year is Expanding Connections and Partnering for Progress. The main conference days are Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10. In addition, a pre-conference workshop day will be held on Thursday, June 8, providing an opportunity for informative and engaging deeper dive sessions prior to the conference. Registration will open in the spring but hotel reservations can be made at any time. If you know you are attending, you may reserve your room today for the dates of June 7-10. Stay tuned for additional details and information on the 2023 conference webpage.

Reminder: PUMP For Nursing Mothers Act Briefing

Join us on Tuesday, February 7, at 2 p.m. ET for the free, online, "PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act Briefing." The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act was signed into law on December 29, 2022. Join this briefing to learn about this important policy advancement, including the full story of the bill's passage, details on the law's protections and what it means for employers and workers, and a discussion on next steps for our collective movement to secure workplace lactation protections for every worker in the nation. The briefing is co-hosted by A Better Balance, the American Civil Liberties Union, Center for WorkLife Law, MomsRising, National WIC Association, and the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee.

Call for Submissions: Black History Month & Breastfeeding

February is Black History Month! The USBC hosts a webpage for the month with a curated selection of infant feeding news and resources. Celebrate breastfeeding during Black History Month with us by sharing relevant materials and tools for us to amplify on our webpage. By working together to raise awareness about Black maternal, infant, and child health, and bringing to light community priorities, strengths, and assets, we can all share and utilize resources, and actively engage in collaborative efforts to advance health equity.

National News

CDC Notice of Funding Opportunities for SPAN & HOP

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued two new Notices of Funding Opportunities: the High Obesity Program (HOP) and the State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) program. Both programs work at the state level to implement evidence-based nutrition and physical activity strategies that address health disparities related to poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and/or obesity. Funding for these programs is for a five-year period, pending the continued availability of funding. One eligible applicant per state will receive funding.

Through HOP, the CDC will fund land grant universities to engage and leverage community extension services to implement HOP-related evidence-based strategies, including food and nutrition security strategies. The application deadline is March 21, 2023. For more information on eligibility and how to apply, view the Request for Applications.
Through SPAN, the CDC will fund organizations to implement SPAN-related evidence-based strategies, including implementing policies and activities that achieve continuity of care for breastfeeding families. The application deadline for this funding opportunity is March 28, 2023. For more information on eligibility on how to apply, view the Request for Applications.

AHRQ Sentinal Event Alert on Maternal Morbidity and Mortality

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Patient Safety Network issued a Sentinel Event Alert titled, "Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities causing mortality and morbidity in pregnant and postpartum patients." The publication serves as a guide that examines obstacles to safe care for mothers of color and shares recommendations to reduce disparities such as team-based care and implicit bias training.

NICHQ Webinar on the Impact of the PUMP Act

The National Institute for Children's Health Quality National Action Partnership to Promote Safe Sleep Improvement and Innovation Network (NAPPSS-IIN) project is convening a webinar, "Community of Practice Webinar: Community Advocacy Organizations," on Thursday, February 16, at 1 p.m. ET. NAPPSS-INN is inviting community advocacy organizations to join and discuss the PUMP Act and its potential impact on women and birthing people who breastfeed/chestfeed or express feed their babies.

WIC Community Innovation and Outreach RFA

The WIC Community Innovation and Outreach Project team issued a Request for Applications to assist WIC State and local agencies, including Indian Tribal Organizations, and nonprofit entities and organizations to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative outreach strategies to increase WIC awareness, and participation, and reduce disparities in program delivery. The deadline to apply for this funding opportunity is March 23, 2023.

CAP Article on the PUMP Act

The Center for American Progress published an article titled, "5 Facts About the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act." The article details critical insights on the PUMP Act workplace protections and the impact of this legislation, including improving maternal health as well as the economic conditions for nursing mothers.

Virtual Dialogue on American Indian and Alaska Native Maternal Deaths

The National Council on Urban Indian Health is hosting a virtual dialogue, "One is Too Many: Together We Can Prevent American Indian and Alaska Native Maternal Deaths," on Tuesday, February 7, at 2 p.m. ET. This event will address American Indian and Alaska Native maternal mortality, its impact on Urban Indian Organizations communities, and will also discuss Maternal Mortality Review Committees as a potential prevention mechanism.

Webinar: Teaching MCH Policy & Advocacy

The Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health (ATMCH) is hosting a webinar, "Teaching MCH Policy and Advocacy," on Friday, February 17, at 3 p.m. ET. This webinar is geared toward teachers and educators in the maternal and child health (MCH) field and will focus on the fundamentals of MCH laws and public policies, tools to advance policy and advocacy, and a case study on the Early Intervention program. This webinar is approved for 1.0 CPH credit.