MSU Extension Champion Early Health

Organizations can identify a community need for lactation support in several practical ways:

Talk with the people you serve: Ask parents and caregivers if they feel comfortable breastfeeding or pumping onsite. You can include short questions in existing surveys, registration forms, or intake conversation. Simple questions might include:

• What would make this space feel more welcoming for you and your baby?

• Do you have suggestions for improving breastfeeding or pumping support at this location?

Observe your environment: Look around your space and note whether there are private, comfortable places to breastfeed or pump. Notice gaps such as limited seating, a lack of privacy, or no accessible electrical outlets. Pay attention to staff observations. Have families asked about private spaces or seemed unsure about where they can feed their baby? Are the only options restrooms? Consider who you serve. If your site regularly serves parents with newborns, infants, or toddlers, there is likely a need for lactation support.

Review your policies and practices: Check whether your organization has written guidance on supporting lactating families. Look for gaps, such as no designated space, unclear staff expectations, or policies that are missing, outdated, or hard to find.

Lactation support changes are more likely to last when more than one person supports the effort.

If possible, start by identifying two to four people who care about this issue and have influence in the setting you want to improve. Depending on your focus, this might include staff, parents, or community volunteers. This does not need to be a formal committee. A simple Lactation Support Team can begin with one short conversation and a shared goal, such as:

• What is the need we are trying to address?

• What is one realistic change we can try?

• How will we communicate the goal and encourage participation?

• Who will help support the change so it does not rely on one person?

Not every organization or business can form a team right away. If you are leading this change on your own, that is still a strong place to start. Often, one person’s first step shows what is possible and helps build support over time.

Tip: Keep the first ask small. Many teams start with one quick win that is easy to try and easy for others to support.

Across Michigan, community organizations and businesses are making meaningful, lasting changes to support breastfeeding. The examples below show different ways communities are creating supportive lactation spaces.

Example 1: Lactation space at a community organization in Oakland County

A local nonprofit in Oakland County serves primarily Spanish‑speaking and immigrant families. The organization created a clean, private, and welcoming lactation space for families visiting the resource center. The space gives parents a safe place to feed and rest with their babies, with a lactation consultant on staff for support.

Staff and community leaders helped shape and promote the space. Because it builds on existing services and uses a dedicated area that people already care for, the lactation space has become part of daily operations and is easier to maintain over time.

Example 2: Lactation space at an outdoor event with a local WIC agency

Genesee County WIC serves low-income pregnant and postpartum women, breastfeeding parents, and young children. WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors already lead outreach and education.

For outdoor events, they created a welcoming lactation space where parents can breastfeed, pump, rest, or ask questions. By adding lactation support to events WIC already hosts, the space feels natural, visible, and easy for families to use.

Example 3: Breastfeeding support policy

Another approach is creating or updating a breastfeeding support policy at your site. Policies can include specific goals, such as providing at least one safe and comfortable space for employees to use, or they can use more general language. The most important thing is that your policy is tailored to your organization. Customizing the policy to your specific setting makes it easier for you to adopt, implement, and sustain the change.

These trusted resources can help you plan, implement, and sustain your breastfeeding support work. Each resource offers tools and examples that can be adapted to fit the needs, capacity, and culture of your organization.

MSU Extension Lactation Support Resources

• Breastfeeding Friendly Environments Change Guide: This resource explains how to create a comfortable, private, and accessible lactation space along with supportive environmental features. This document helps you design a welcoming environment that supports breastfeeding employees, visitors, and clients.

• Local Breastfeeding Support Policy Change Guide: These graphic highlights ideas you can include when developing or updating a breastfeeding supportive policy. It helps you quickly identify policy elements that strengthen support for breastfeeding across your organization. supportive policy.

• Lactation Station Story at a Michigan Fair: Learn how MSU Extension collaborated with community partners to create a designated private and clean space for nursing parents at St. Clair County 4-H and Youth Fair.

• Breastfeeding and Returning to Work Part 1 and Part 2: Supporting breastfeeding parents in the workplace is important to maintain breastmilk as a primary source of nourishment for babies. Learn more about breastfeeding rights in the workspace and practical tips when returning to work.

Other Lactation Support Resources

• Michigan WIC Program: WIC helps families access nutritious foods, breastfeeding assistance, and resources that improve pregnancy outcomes and child development.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): WIC Breastfeeding Support: Organizations can find help to enhance their breastfeeding promotion efforts on social media by receiving customizable, evidence informed messages.

• U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC): Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Change Resources: Organizations can get help to strengthen their breastfeeding support by getting evidence-based materials on health impacts, policy development, equity considerations, and environmental supports.

A strong plan does not need to be complicated. The most effective approach is to choose one goal, select one strategy, and test it for 4-6 weeks.

First, choose the system you want to improve. Ideas are:

• Improve or create a physical space that supports lactation.

• Update your organization's lactation policy.

• Provide staff training and awareness.

• Improve or create breastfeeding communication and/or signage.

Next, pick one clear goal. This helps prevent the process from feeling overwhelming and supports steady progress. Examples are:

• Ensure employees know where the lactation space is and how to access it.

• Update your lactation policy to be more inclusive and easier to understand.

• Provide supervisors with guidance on supporting employees who need pumping breaks.

• Increase visibility of lactation-friendly messaging throughout the building friendly messaging throughout the building.

Finally, try one quick win for 4-6 weeks. Choose something realistic. Here are some high impact starter options:

• Add a comfortable chair, table, and outlet to your private lactation space.

• Post a privacy sign, such as “Lactation Room in Use.”

• Stock the room with basic supplies, such as cleaning wipes or a small trash bin.

• Provide refrigeration space for storage of breastmilk.

• Email staff a short message explaining available lactation supports.

• Include your lactation support information in new employee onboarding materials employee onboarding materials.

After you try a change for 4-6 weeks, take a few minutes to reflect on what worked, what felt realistic, and what you might adjust moving forward. Reflection helps you strengthen your approach and builds momentum over time.

Simple reflection questions:

• What worked well?

• What challenges came up and what helped?

• What would make this easier to continue?

• What is one next step to keep going or expand the change?

If your change is working, consider sharing it with others. Even a short message at a meeting, email, or informal conversation can help build buy-in and encourage wider participation.