Federal Policies, Programs, & Initiatives

Thanks to the insights and advocacy efforts of individuals and organizations across the nation, a wide range of federal policies and programs are working to support breastfeeding families. Find key links and details sorted by topic below. 

Current Federal Policies & Resources

Mothers & Families

• WIC Breastfeeding Support – Learn Together. Grow Together (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2018)
• Your Guide to Breastfeeding (2017)
• Safe to Sleep (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2012)

Health Care

• Women's Preventive Services Initiative (Health Resources & Services Administration, 2016)
• Breastfeeding: Primary Care Interventions (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2016)
• Primary Care Interventions to Promote Breastfeeding (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2015)
• IHS Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (Indian Health Service, 2013)

Employment

• Supporting Nursing Moms at Work (Office on Women's Health, 2014, revised 2019)
• Apoyo a la lactancia materna en el trabajo (Office on Women's Health, 2014, revised 2019)
• Employment Protections For Workers Who Are Pregnant or Nursing (U.S. Department of Labor, 2015)
• It's Only Natural (Office on Women's Health, 2014)
• Nursing Mothers in Federal Employment (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2010)
• Guide for Establishing a Federal Nursing Mother’s Program (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2013)

Research

• Breastfeeding Report Card (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, biannual)
• Maternal and Fetal Effects of Mental Health Treatments in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women: A Systematic Review of Pharmacological Interventions (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2019)
• Breastfeeding Programs and Policies, Breastfeeding Uptake, and Maternal Health Outcomes in Developed Countries (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2018)
• Pregnancy and Birth to 24 Months (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2012)

Cross-Sector 

• Guide to Strategies to Support Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013)
• The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding (Office of the Surgeon General, 2011)
• National Prevention Strategy (Office of the Surgeon General, 2011)

Current Federal Programs that Include Breastfeeding

Communities

• Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (Health Resources & Services Administration)
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
• Child and Adult Care Food Program (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Health Care

• Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Program (Maternal and Child Health Bureau)
• Healthy Start (Maternal and Child Health Bureau)

Employment

• Head Start (Administration for Children & Families) 

Research

• National Immunization Survey (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Infant Feeding Practices Study II (IFPS II) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) Survey (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Cross-Sector

• Healthy People 2020 (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
• Healthy People 2020 Law and Health Policy project (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)

Current Federally-Funded Initiatives

Mothers & Families

• National Action Partnership to Promote Safe Sleep Improvement and Innovation Network (NAPPSS-IIN) (Maternal and Child Health Bureau)

Health Care

• EMPower Breastfeeding Initiatives (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Reducing Breastfeeding Disparities through Continuity of Care (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Breastfeeding Physician Education & Training Project Advisory Committee (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Public Health Infrastructure 

• Learning Community to Improve State Health Agency Capacity for Breastfeeding Promotion and Support (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Children’s Healthy Weight Collaborative Improvement & Innovation Network (Maternal and Child Health Bureau)

Older Documents and Initiatives

• Surgeon General's Workshop on Breastfeeding and Human Lactation (1984)
• National Breastfeeding Policy Conference (1998)
• HHS Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding (2000)
• The CDC Guide To Breastfeeding Interventions (2005)
• AHRQ Evidence Report: Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries (2007)
• Let's Move! and the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity (2010-2016)
• Best Fed Beginnings (2011)