Weekly Wire: PUMP Act Briefing, New Equity Champions Directory, 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: PUMP Act Briefing, New Equity Champions Directory, and more

1/27/2023

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Equity Champions Directory Now Available
- Virtual Briefing on the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act
- Deadline Extension: Welcome Congress Sign-On Letter
- Save the Date for the In-Person 2023 USBC Conference
- Collaboratively Pursuing Policy Solutions Webinar Recording Now Available
- Upcoming Events in January & February on USBC Events Calendar
International News
- WABA World Breastfeeding Week Slogan Announced
National News
- Guide for Applying to DNPAO Funding
- Breastfeeding Equity Through Community Engagement Infographic
- New Congressional District Health Dashboard
State & Community News
- Minnesota Bill Introduced to Establish a Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
News & Views
Journal Publications

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

USBC Updates

Equity Champions Directory Now Available!

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is pleased to announce that the Equity Champions Directory is now available! This new resource has been made possible through funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) and was created to help individuals and organizations in our network to find support in operationalizing diversity, equity, and inclusion within their internal structures, policies, and programs. The directory is free and accessible on the USBC website. If your organization is committed to taking the next step in its equity journey, we encourage you to visit the directory to review and connect with the equity coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers, and evaluators listed therein. To be considered for inclusion in the directory, we invite you to tell us about your expertise. Please note that the inclusion of an individual in the Equity Champions Directory does not signify USBC endorsement of their training content or views.

Virtual Briefing on the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act

Join us on Tuesday, February 7, at 2 p.m. ET for the free, virtual "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 U.S. Breastfeeding Committee.

Deadline Extension: Welcome Congress Sign-On Letter

The USBC is extending the deadline to join the organizational sign-on letter welcoming the new Congress and urging them to prioritize breastfeeding during the 118th Congressional Session. The letter calls on Congress to advance five policy priorities identified by the USBC and membership:

Federal funding for breastfeeding
Infant nutrition security
Access to lactation support & supplies
Workplace protections
Maternity care

The deadline for organizations to be included in the initial delivery of the letter is Friday, February 10. Additional signatures will be added on a rolling basis. The letter will be delivered to all Senators and Representatives as part of the USBC Welcome Congress campaign, taking place the week of February 13.

Save the Date for the In-Person 2023 USBC Conference

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is thrilled to announce that the annual USBC Conference will be hosted in person in Bethesda, MD from June 8-10. The main conference will be Friday, June 9, & Saturday, June 10, with a preconference workshop day on Thursday, June 8. This year's theme is: Expanding Connections and Partnering for Progress. The annual USBC Conference, called the National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening (NBCC), brings together a diverse set of clinical, community, advocacy, and research professionals who recognize the public health importance of breastfeeding as critical for reducing the burden of infant morbidity and mortality, childhood and adolescent overweight, obesity, and chronic disease, and maternal type 2 diabetes and maternal breast and ovarian cancers. The 2023 convening is being designed for maximum engagement, networking, and connection, particularly important after two years of online events. Details and hotel reservation link for the June USBC Conference will be available on the USBC website soon.

Collaboratively Pursuing Policy Solutions Webinar Recording Now Available

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee recently hosted a webinar titled, "Collaboratively Pursuing Policy Solutions: Lessons Learned from the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee" during which USBC Deputy Director Amelia Psmythe Seger and USBC Senior Policy & Communications Manager Cheryl Lebedevitch reviewed the organization's collaborative approach to organizing stakeholders for policy, systems, and environmental change efforts. They described strategies for collaborating to create legislative change and shared the policy priorities the USBC has identified for the 118th congressional session. The webinar is now accessible on the USBC Learning Opportunities webpage. Please note, continuing education was available for the live viewing only.

Upcoming Events in January & February on USBC Events Calendar

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee maintains an Events Calendar with upcoming breastfeeding-related events that are hosted by our extensive network of USBC member organizations. Events include online trainings, learning opportunities, virtual conferences, and more. Check out the calendar to explore recently added events taking place the coming weeks. If you are a USBC member, we invite you to submit your organization's events via the USBC Member Portal.

International News

WABA World Breastfeeding Week Slogan Announced

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) announced the slogan for World Breastfeeding Week 2023: Enabling breastfeeding: Making a difference for working parents. This year's campaign will focus on employment and the impact of paid leave, workplace support, and emerging parenting norms on breastfeeding through the lens of parents themselves. Target audiences, including governments, policymakers, employers, communities, and parents will be urged to play a role in empowering families and sustaining breastfeeding-friendly environments in the post-pandemic work life.

National News

Guide for Applying to DNPAO Funding

The Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) created a comprehensive guide with information, tips, and resources for organizations interested in applying for the State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program (SPAN), High Obesity Program (HOP), or Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2023 funding opportunities from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Nutrition Physical Activity and Obesity.

Breastfeeding Equity Through Community Engagement Infographic

The Association of State and Territorial Officials (ASTHO) released the "Breastfeeding Equity Through Community Engagement" infographic. ASTHO supports 16 state recipients in implementing evidence-based breastfeeding policies and practices at the state and local levels through the Breastfeeding Learning Community. The infographic highlights key takeaways and successes in breastfeeding from these recipients, and describes funded projects in Arkansas, Utah, and Minnesota.

New Congressional District Health Dashboard

New York University Grossman School of Medicine, in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, released the Congressional District Health Dashboard. This new online tool provides data on health and conditions that affect health in every congressional district across the country. The initiative aims to provide policymakers, advocates, and community members with nonpartisan data at the congressional district level, such as life expectancy, diabetes rates, and deaths from cardiovascular disease and breast cancer, to portray strengths and challenges in each region and drive positive change.

USBC Insight: The Congressional District Dashboard includes data on 36 measures which are organized into five categories: Health Behaviors, Social and Economic Factors, Physical Environment, Health Outcomes, and Clinical Care. Human milk feeding is proven to reduce the risk of a number of the health outcomes that are measured in the dashboard. Compared with commercial milk formula-fed children, breastfed infants have a reduced risk of obesity and type 1 and 2 diabetes. Women who breastfed their children have a reduced long-term risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer. Additionally, social and economic factors and conditions in the physical environment can exacerbate breastfeeding disparities. Investing in breastfeeding and lactation support represents a powerful investment in public health. This district-level data can serve as a helpful tool for advocates to demonstrate to policymakers why lactation-friendly policies are critically needed.

State & Community News

Minnesota Bill Introduced to Establish a Paid Family and Medical Leave Program

A Minnesota bill for a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program was introduced in both the House (HF 2) and Senate (SF 2). This legislation would establish a state-run insurance program to provide Minnesota workers with up to 12 weeks of paid family leave and up to an additional 12 weeks of paid medical leave per year.