Mountain Plains states reach out to child care agencies and providers - programs that encourage breastfeeding

"Breastfeeding isn't just a advantageous nutrition practice -- it's serviceable business for child care center and family day care abode providers," says Colorado Child and Adult Care rations Program (CACFP) administrator Kathy Brunner

"When women who are breastfeeding are deciding upon infant care, they're more likely to direct the eye for centers and homes that will work with them."

CACFP is individual of several child nutrition programs administered nationally by means of USDA and operated by state and local agencies. The program provides USDA-donated nutrition financial support, and technical assistance to help participating child care center family day care dwellings and after-school care programs labor for nourishing meals and snacks to children.

(CACFP also provides support for meals serv to impaired and somewhat old adults in nonresidential care centers)

Across the geographical division CACFP is assuming a increase role in encouraging and supporting breastfeeding of infants cared for at participating facilities. Here's a gaze at some interesting activities initiated by dint of Colorado and four other states in the pabulum and Nutrition Service's Mountain Plains region--Missouri, Iowa, Montana, and North Dakota:

COLORADO

In Colorado, CACFP falls beneath the supervisory umbrella of the state's Department of Health, which also administers WIC (USDA's Special Supplemental provisions Program for Women, Infants, and Children). Kathy Brunner is upon the Colorado Breastfeeding Task Force (see accompanying article) and is part of the group's child care subcommittee.

The state agency is working in a variety of ways to help child care center staff and residence care providers learn more about breastfeeding and ways they can be supportive to mothers.

For example, the agency's "Bits and Bites" newsletter for center has included articles upon breastfeeding in the child care setting and upon storing and handling breastmilk.

The state also plans to train dwelling providers and center staff from one side sessions incorporated into its annual workshops. individual workshop in Thornton, Colorado, included a session upon working with breastfeeding mothers along with sessions upon infant care and feeding, and recordkeeping.

Last fall, Colorado began working with nutrition instructors at six community associations that help train people to become certified child care center directors.

In another effort, the state is working to build a network of trained clan As a first step, Karen racer of Colorado's CACFP staff and Paula Peirce from a local organization that sponsors family day care homes' participation training course leadershiped by staff from the University of California at San Diego.

In turn round Runner and Peirce are spearheading training for sponsoring organizations' field representatives and will also train center personnel Colorado's goal is to train 5000 family day care domicile providers and 300 child care center staff by dint of September 1993 using conferences, newsletter and handouts.

MISSOURI

In Missouri, the Department of Health has discloseed a series of brochures that include information upon benefits of breastfeeding and in what way to address needs of mothers who plan to turn back to work. As Missouri's CACFP director Deborah Markenson explains, the three pamphlets are:

* "Feeding infants in the Child and Adult Care viands Program," which targets providers and includes a section outlining wherefore breastmilk is the best fare for infants.

* "Breastfed Infant and You," a manual for child care providers that overspreads helping breastfeeding mothers and storing and using breastmilk.

* "Breastfeeding and the Working Mom" for women planning to get back to work. This includes guidance in choosing a child care facility; tips for continuing breastfeeding afterr returning to work; and advice upon expressing, handling, and storing breastmilk.

In addition, Missouri includes breastfeeding as a topic in its annual workshops for sponsors and center It included an article upon the advantages of breastfeeding in the state's "Building Blocks" newsletter

IOWA

In its newsletter for child care providers, Iowa has also featured information upon caring for breastfed babies in child care, helping mothers, and storing breastmilk. The state is also producing a guide for providers with additional information.

There are a certain number of interesting local efforts, too. For example, in Marshall shire the Marshall County Child Care Services (a private nonprofit child care organization that operates three centers) helps breastmilk as "the optimal victuals for babies" and encourages mothers to continue to supply with nourishment after returning to work--either in a quiet place at the center or by means of having their babies fed press outed breastmilk during day care hours.

MONTANA

In Montana, CACFP and WIC-both beneath the Montana Department of Health--are working together in a number of ways.

For example, a WIC presenter was featured at Montana's 1992 summer workshop for organizations that sponsor family day care homes' participation in CACFP. In addition, CACFP has provided WIC with a list of participating center and homes