New parents are faced with many decisions. Deciding how to feed their child is one that requires support. Breastfeeding/chestfeeding has many benefits for both the parent and child. Breastfeeding/chestfeeding parents and their children have a reduced risk of illness, chronic diseases and certain cancers.
Promoting breastfeeding/chestfeeding is a high priority strategy adopted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to improve parental and child health. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that children be exclusively fed human milk for the first 6 months. At 6 months, parents are encouraged to introduce solid foods and continue to feed human milk until the child is at least 2 years old. In 2023, NYS Department of Labor expanded employer obligations that allow employees breaks (each time they have a reasonable need) to express milk in the workplace until their child is 3 years old.
Erie County Department of Health recognizes that parents face a number of challenges to breastfeeding/chestfeeding. Determining whether or not to return to work or choosing to stop feeding human milk due to the difficulty of expressing milk while away from home should not be one of those challenges.
Erie County aims to work with hospitals, doctor’s offices, businesses, and community organizations to support parents in their goal to feed their children human milk for as long as possible. By meeting the Erie County Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding and Lactation Friendly Worksite designation requirements, employers demonstrate that they support their employees’ right to express milk at work in order to feed their children human milk for as long as they choose.
