New Jersey families now have a one-stop resource for breastfeeding education, support, and empowerment, just in time to celebrate National Breastfeeding Month this August. The NJ Supports Breastfeeding initiative has been launched to help New Jersey families make informed infant feeding decisions – and to ensure all families have the tools they need to make breastfeeding accessible and successful.
The NJ Supports Breastfeeding initiative is a comprehensive statewide website providing evidence-based and culturally informed breastfeeding education and resources for parents, families, health professionals, employers, and childcare providers. Central to the website is its Get Help section, which includes county-by-county resource listings enabling parents to find skilled lactation support providers and support groups when they need it. The website can be translated into 11 languages using a dropdown option. The website also contains social media-ready videos on themes including the importance of prenatal preparation and having support after childbirth to make lactation successful.
The NJ Supports Breastfeeding initiative, a central element of the 2022–2027 New Jersey Breastfeeding Strategic Plan, is led by the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium in collaboration with The Cooperative and The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, with funding from the New Jersey Department of Health. Developed based on the input of New Jersey parents and diverse stakeholders from state government, the healthcare sector, businesses, insurance, education, and community groups, the Plan is a roadmap of strategies to address breastfeeding barriers.
“The benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented, and the Statewide Breastfeeding Strategic Plan continues to serve as the blueprint for our commitment to increase breastfeeding rates and reduce disparities in both initiation and exclusivity of breastfeeding statewide,” said Nancy Scotto-Rosato, PhD, Executive Director of Maternal and Child Health at the New Jersey Department of Health. “Achieving this goal requires a united effort – from health care providers to community members – working together to support families."
While New Jersey mothers and parents initiate breastfeeding at high rates, these numbers drop steeply during the early weeks and months after birth, and lag behind the advice of leading health organizations. Parents report that lactation barriers, including lack of support from families, communities, health professionals, employers, and childcare providers, stand in the way of reaching their infant feeding goals.
Every parent deserves informed support, free from barriers or shame. The NJ Supports Breastfeeding initiative recognizes that the collective support of everyone--the community, the health care sector, employers, the government and beyond--are critical to ensure that families across New Jersey can access consistent, evidence-based and compassionate information—no matter where they live or what their feeding goals may be.
Visit https://njsupportsbreastfeeding.org to explore resources for breastfeeding, lactation and breastfeeding policies, and more for families, friends, employers, and healthcare professionals.
For more information about the NJ Supports Breastfeeding initiative, contact njsupportsbreastfeeding@cjfhc.org
