Best Practice Strategies:

Cross-sector collaboration and strategic planning is a critical component of the #RVABreastfeeds Coalition. At the 2017 Breastfeeding Symposium in Richmond, VA dialogue centered around the impact of systemic racism on breastfeeding with citizens, health care providers, and policy makers. RVAbreastfeeds recognizes that it is critical that our community’s care providers and institutions understand how unconscious biases and policies may be impacting the people they are serving. For years, this coalition has worked to develop a strong network of citizens and organizations that are committed to social change. This culminated in 2018 with the Mayoral Proclamation of Black Breastfeeding Week RVA occurring annually August 25-31. This proclamation included a call to action for local hospitals, businesses, and agencies to work together to deliver consistent information and provide equitable resources to ensure successful breastfeeding initiation and duration for all mothers and infants, especially the most historically underserved populations.

Important and Unexpected Partnerships

RVABreastfeeds has recently built connections with local food justice activists—after all, food deserts are also likely to be “First Food Deserts,” where access to lactation support is missing too. These partnerships emphasize the understanding that there is a natural progression from supporting families’ ability to provide the best “First Food,” breastmilk, for their babies, to supporting the best “Next Foods,”—fresh, locally sourced fruits and vegetables.

Agency Partner:

RVABreastFeeds