"Breastfeeding isn't just a profitable nutrition practice -- it's righteous business for child care center and family day care household providers.

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

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

CACFP is single in kind of several child nutrition programs administered nationally by dint of USDA and operated by state and local agencies. The program provides USDA-donated regimen financial support, and technical assistance to help participating child care center family day care abiding-places 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 land CACFP is assuming a expansion role in encouraging and supporting breastfeeding of infants cared for at participating facilities. Here's a expect at some interesting activities initiated from Colorado and four other states in the commons and Nutrition Service's Mountain Plains region--Missouri, Iowa, Montana, and North Dakota:

COLORADO

In Colorado, CACFP falls in subordination to the supervisory umbrella of the state's Department of Health, which also administers WIC (USDA's Special Supplemental cheer Program for Women, Infants, and Children). Kathy Brunner is forward 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 domicile 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 forward breastfeeding in the child care setting and forward storing and handling breastmilk.

The state also plans to train household providers and center staff end sessions incorporated into its annual workshops. single in kind workshop in Thornton, Colorado, included a session in succession working with breastfeeding mothers along with sessions in succession infant care and feeding, and recordkeeping.

Last fall, Colorado began working with nutrition instructors at six community literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learnings that help train people to become certified child care center directors.

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

In incline differently 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 abiding-place providers and 300 child care center staff according to September 1993 using conferences, newsletter and handouts.

MISSOURI

In Missouri, the Department of Health has bring to maturityed a series of brochures that include information onward benefits of breastfeeding and to what extent to address needs of mothers who plan to get back to work. As Missouri's CACFP director Deborah Markenson explains, the three pamphlets are:

* "Feeding infants in the Child and Adult Care provender Program," which targets providers and includes a section outlining for what cause [i]or[/i] reason breastmilk is the best nourishment for infants.

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

* "Breastfeeding and the Working Mom" for women planning to turn back to work. This includes guidance in choosing a child care facility; tips for continuing breastfeeding afterr returning to work; and advice in succession 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 in succession the advantages of breastfeeding in the state's "Building Blocks" newsletter

IOWA

In its newsletter for child care providers, Iowa has also featured information in succession 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 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) exalts breastmilk as "the optimal rations for babies" and encourages mothers to continue to pamper after returning to work--either in a quiet place at the center or according to having their babies fed set forthed 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