The Breastfeeding-Friendly Community Project was identified by professional and community members as a strategy during the CHIP process, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in Jackson County. This is an on-going program in our community.

• The audience for the Breastfeeding-Friendly Community Project are all workplaces, businesses, and licensed child care centers in Jackson County. The project aims to make a difference at the individual/interpersonal behavior and organizational/policy change level. Implementation will take place in workplaces, businesses, and licensed child care centers.
• The Project seeks to make workplaces and child care centers breastfeeding-friendly by providing adequate, private space for employees and visitors to express breastmilk or nurse, store breastmilk, and develop policies to ensure ongoing support of lactating employees
• The Project seeks to shift the culture of infant feeding in our rural Appalachian community by making breastfeeding in public a normal behavior.  The Action Team will support local businesses in developing procedures to openly support breastfeeding and pumping patrons. 
• Overall, the Action Team will provide technical assistance and support for workplaces, businesses, and child care centers to achieve the Breastfeeding-Friendly Designations available through the North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition and the NC Division of Public Health. 

The partners for Breastfeeding-Friendly Community Project include:

This strategy was not worked on in 2023 due to tranistion in Health Education Supervisor postion.