Weekly Wire: Staying Abreast: Update from the Board, National Breastfeeding Month, & 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: Staying Abreast: Update from the Board, National Breastfeeding Month, & more

7/21/2023

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Message from the USBC Board Chair
- Scholarship Opportunity for New USBC Member Organizations
- Reminder: Join USBC Coalitions Directory to be Featured in 2023 State Breastfeeding Reports
Special Section on National Breastfeeding Month 2023
National News
- CHEER Breastfeeding Employer Toolkit Launch
- PUMP Technical Correction Act Introduced in House and Senate
- Resource on PUMP Act Protections for Transportation Workers
- EEOC and DOL Webinar on Advancing Equity for Women in the Workplace
- Updated Flyer from DOL on Workplace Protections for Nursing Mothers
- Great Lakes Webinar on Fatherhood Empowerment
State & Community News
- Paid Family and Medical Leave Program Signed Into Law in Maine
News & Views

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

USBC Updates

Message from the USBC Board Chair

USBC Board Chair, Tiana Pyles, shared an important message and update in a USBC blog post titled "News from the Chair: Change is Good." The message provides news on a shift in USBC Board dynamics. Please join us in celebrating the service of Paulina Erices, and welcoming Chair-Elect Tina Sherman, and Elected Director Pauline Sakamoto. Learn more about the USBC Board of Directors on the U.S. Breastfeeding Board of Directors webpage.

Scholarship Opportunity for New USBC Member Organizations

If you are a new USBC member organization or are considering joining the USBC membership, we invite you to apply for the Creating Space Scholarship! This membership scholarship is available to new USBC member organizations that are led by and serving BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) or other priority populations, and have an operating budget of less than $250,000. Through this scholarship program, the USBC is awarding up to 100 organizations complimentary membership for 2023. For more information on eligibility and how to apply, read the blog post about the Creating Space Scholarship opportunity.

Reminder: Join USBC Coalitions Directory to be Featured in 2023 State Breastfeeding Reports

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee released the 2023 State & Territory Breastfeeding Reports earlier this year. Updated versions of the reports will be released in August of 2023 for National Breastfeeding Month. The reports will feature an updated list of breastfeeding coalitions serving within the state or territory. If you would like your coalition to be featured in your state or territory's breastfeeding report, join the USBC Coalitions Directory, which is free of charge, by completing the USBC Membership Interest Form by Monday, July 31.

Special Section on National Breastfeeding Month 2023

National Breastfeeding Month (NBM) is right around the corner! The 2023 NBM theme is This is Our Why. The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is busy preparing for a full month of activities and events. Join us as we take the time in August 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 and make a donation to help support important campaigns like this one. Highlights from the field include:

AANHPIBW: The annual Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week celebration will be held Tuesday, August 15, through Monday, August 21. The 2023 theme is Telling Our Stories, Elevating Our Voices!
BBW: The annual Black Breastfeeding Week celebration will be held Tuesday, August 25, through Monday, August 31. The 2023 BBW theme is We Outside!: Celebrating Connection & Our Communities. Join the conversation at hashtags #BBW23, #WeOutside, and #blackbreastfeedingweek.
FNS: The annual National WIC Breastfeeding Week celebration is held each year in the first week of August, in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week to promote and support breastfeeding as the best source of nutrition for a baby. The Secretary of Agriculture announced the 2023 USDA Proclamation: National WIC Breastfeeding Week and the USDA, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) compiled a wide variety of resources for sharing and celebration.
Global Breastfeeding Collective: The Global Breastfeeding Collective is hosting a webinar titled, "Let's Make Breastfeeding Work" to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. Join the session to hear from mothers about their experiences combining work and breastfeeding, get new ideas from countries that have used evidence-based policies to make breastfeeding work, learn about updated maternity leave recommendations, and find resources to support advocacy.
Healthy Horizons: Healthy Horizons published a blog titled, "What is National Breastfeeding Month? The History, 2023 Themes, and Events". The blog post spotlights the Healthy Horizons 5th Annual Lactation Room Contest and announces the first Workplace Lactation Week, to be celebrated Friday, September 1, through Thursday, September 7, with the theme Preparing for the PUMP Act.
IMMC: The annual Indigenous Milk Medicine Week celebration will be held Tuesday, August 8, through Monday, August 14. The Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective announced the 2023 theme, From the Stars to a Sustainable Future. This theme connects milk medicine to Mother Earth and the elements of water, land, fire and air. This year's event will include daily sunrise ceremonies, education sessions, and the IMMW Virtual 5k.
LactaHub: Amref International University, The Global Health Network at the University of Oxford, and LactaHub are hosting a webinar titled "LactaWebinar on breastfeeding challenges for working mothers and their families in different workplace settings" on Thursday, August 3, at 10 a.m. ET in honor of World Breastfeeding Week. The presentation will delve into the crucial topic of breastfeeding challenges for working mothers and their families in different workplace settings and will feature an interactive discussion with experts from Kenya, Brazil, Mexico, and the USA.
Latina/x Breastfeeding Week: Th first ever Latina/x Breastfeeding Week/Semana de La Lactancia Latina will be celebrated Tuesday, September 5, through Monday, September 11. Individuals are invited to share their personal stories and experiences on the "Our Stories Make the World/Nuestras Historias Crean el Mundo" submission form.
NWA: The National WIC Association is hosting a webinar titled "National Breastfeeding Month Live Panel" on Saturday, August 1, at 2 p.m. ET. The event will feature the voices of a diverse panel of breastfeeding experts, including USBC Executive Director, Nikia Sankofa.
USBC: The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee hosts the National Breastfeeding Month webpage, bringing together a variety of tools and information to support individuals and organizations as they join the celebration, including links to download the official NBM 2023 logo in both English and Spanish. Visit the USBC National Breastfeeding Month Store to order a limited edition NBM 2023 t-shirt and help celebrate this year's theme, This is Our Why, by sharing why supporting breastfeeding and human milk feeding is important to you.
WBW: The annual World Breastfeeding Week celebration will be held Tuesday, August 1, through Monday, August 7. This year's theme is Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a difference for working parents. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy released the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week Action Folder and Social Media Kit to help organizations get involved. Pledge to participate in the #WBW2023 celebration by sharing details of planned activities to be featured on the WBW Pledge Map.

Local Events

Chichihualtia: Chichihualitia is hosting an event titled "Ancestrally Latched on Native Land" in Los Angeles California, Tonga Lands on Sunday, August 6, from 4- 8 p.m. PT. The community gathering and celebration in honor of Indigenous Milk Medicine Week (IMMW) will advance chest/breastfeeding as a traditional parenting way, first ancestral medicine and food, disrupter of early adverse childhood experiences, and facilitator of lineage-healing and family wellness.
CSSBC: The Chicago South Side Birth Center is hosting the "Latch & Stroll: Black Breastfeeding Week 2023" event on Saturday, August 26, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. CT at Russell Square Park in Chicago, Illinois. The event will highlight the disparities of breastfeeding rates in Black communities and uplift the people and organizations providing resources and support to families wanting to provide their little ones with human milk and overall wellness in our communities.
TB: Treasured Beginnings is hosting the "Black Breastfeeding Week Breastfeeding Class" on Saturday, August 26, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. ET at the Walnut Hills Branch Library in Cincinnati, OH. The class is designed to provide support, education, and resources to Black mothers who are breastfeeding.

National News

CHEER Breastfeeding Employer Toolkit Launch

The Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research is hosting a webinar titled, "Mississippi WINS: When We Support Breastfeeding at Work" on Wednesday, August 2, at 1 p.m. ET. The webinar will announce the launch of the CHAMPS Mississippi WINS Employer Toolkit and create a discussion about how breastfeeding advocates can work with businesses to support breastfeeding employees.

PUMP Technical Correction Act Introduced in House and Senate

Senator Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Morelle (D-NY-25) introduced the PUMP Technical Correction Act (S. 2219/H.R. 3585). The bill would amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to expand access to breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace to employees of the legislative branch, including employees of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Architect of the Capitol.

Resource on PUMP Act Protections for Transportation Workers

The Center for Worklife Law published a resource titled, "PUMP Act Protections for Transportation Workers." The resource details the protections the PUMP Act affords to transportation workers, the special rules that apply to rail carrier employees and motorcoach service operators, and protections available to flight crew members under other laws.

EEOC and DOL Webinar on Advancing Equity for Women in the Workplace

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Labor (DOL) are hosting a webinar titled, "Advancing Equity for Women in the Workplace" to celebrate Women's Equality Day. The session will discuss the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, and workplace laws that advance equity for women.

Updated Flyer from DOL on Workplace Protections for Nursing Mothers

The U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau hosts the "Employment Issues Related to Pregnancy, Birth and Nursing" webpage, which now features an updated flyer titled "Nursing Mothers Workplace Protections" on Fair Labor Standards Act protections on the right to pump breast milk at work. There is also a Spanish version of the flyer titled, "Madres que están lactancia maternal Protecciones Laborales."

Great Lakes Webinar on Fatherhood Empowerment

The Michigan Breastfeeding Network released a Great Lakes Breastfeeding Webinar titled, "Fatherhood Empowerment: Beneficial for Everyone." The session addresses the benefits of father empowerment as it relates to child development, birthing persons' care and wellbeing, the healthcare system, and the father himself. The webinar is approved for continuing education through July 2024.

State & Community News

Paid Family and Medical Leave Program Signed Into Law in Maine

Maine Governor Mills signed into law legislation creating a state paid family and medical leave program (LD 258/HP 163). The bill establishes a state paid family and medical leave program that provides up to 12 weeks of leave that can be used to take paid time away from work to care for a new child, a family member or oneself due to a serious health condition, for safe leave, or for certain exigencies related to a family member's military deployment. Workers and employers will begin contributing to the program on January 1, 2025, and workers will be able to begin taking leave and receiving benefits on May 1, 2026. Maine is the fourteenth state (including Washington D.C.) to enact a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program. Highlights from the field include: