With a goal of supporting breastfeeding families throughout Kansas, six local breastfeeding coalitions received funding totaling approximately $5,000 from the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition (KBC) Mini-Grant Initiative.
The following local breastfeeding coalition projects received funding from the KBC:
- African-American Breastfeeding Coalition of Wyandotte County – Taking Community Service to the Community
- Ellis County Breastfeeding Coalition – In My Mother’s Arms: Breastfeeding Photography Exhibit
- Johnson County Breastfeeding Coalition – Community Awareness of Johnson County Breastfeeding Coalition
- Lactation Advocates Teaching Community Health (LATCH) – Lyon County William Allen White Auditorium Lactation Room
- Wichita Area Breastfeeding Coalition – Wichita: Enhancing Community Breastfeeding Support for Black Mothers
- Wyandotte County Breastfeeding Coalition – Mom & Baby Health Fair 2019
Breastfeeding provides immediate and lifelong nutrition and health benefits for mother and child, as well as larger economic, environmental and social benefits to families and communities. It is estimated suboptimal breastfeeding rates are costing Kansas $26 million each year in medical costs alone.
“Breastfeeding at the earliest stages of life has been shown to have a lifetime of positive results,” said Dr. Lisette Jacobson, Chair of the KBC Board of Directors. “Nearly 90% of families choose to breastfeed, at least at the beginning. Working with these local coalitions, we are changing the culture and building communities where families can be supported in their decision to breastfeed.”