Government in action on breastfeeding

Learn what the Office on Women\’s Health is doing to support breastfeeding:

Learn what other federal agencies are doing to support breastfeeding:

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
    • Best Fed Beginnings – This program, supported by the CDC, helps hospitals improve maternity care and become a Baby-Friendly designated hospital. Baby-Friendly hospitals promote breastfeeding, among other mother/baby bonding efforts.
    • Breastfeeding Report Card—United States, 2013 – The Breastfeeding Report Card shows how breastfeeding is protected, promoted, and supported in each state and allows comparisons across states, making it an important tool for increasing breastfeeding nationwide.
    • CDC Guide to Strategies to Support Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies – This guide offers breastfeeding intervention strategies for states and local communities, including worksite programs, breastfeeding information, and peer support programs.
  • Healthy People 2020: Maternal, Infant, and Child Health Objectives – Healthy People 2020 creates 10-year national objectives to improve the health of Americans. The breastfeeding objectives include increasing the number of infants who are breastfed and increasing the length of time that mothers breastfeed. Another goal is increasing worksite lactation support programs.
  • HRSA Women\’s Preventive Services Guidelines – These guidelines from the Health Resources and Services Administration state that all new health plans or policies are required to provide coverage for lactation support and counseling and rental of breastfeeding equipment at no cost to women.
  • The Surgeon General\’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding – This call to action describes specific steps communities, organizations, and people can take to participate in a society-wide approach to support mothers and babies who are breastfeeding.
  • Who Gets WIC and How to Apply – Information about the Women, Infants and Children Program – This Web page describes the WIC program and explains the benefits, who is eligible, and how to apply.