Champion Early Health

Community lactation support focuses on making it easier for Michigan families to provide human milk to their infants. These changes can take place in many settings including workplaces, businesses, childcare centers, retail settings, and other community locations.

By applying the Six-Step Community Change Framework, you can take meaningful steps to support lactating families. Here's how:

Step 1: Identify the Need

Here are some approachable ways an organization can identify a community lactation support need:

Talk with the people you serve: Ask parents and caregivers whether they feel comfortable breastfeeding or pumping onsite. You can even include short questions in existing surveys, registration forms, or intake conversation. Simple questions can 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: Notice whether there are any private places where someone could breastfeed or pump. Look for indications like lack of private seating or no accessible outlets. Have staff noticed families asking about private spaces, or appearing unsure of where they can feed their baby? Are there options on site besides a bathroom? Consider your clientele. Are they parents with newborns? Families with infants or toddlers? If your site frequently serves families with young children, it's highly likely there is a need for lactation support.

Review your policies and practices: Look at whether your organization or business currently has written guidance on supporting lactating families. Identify gaps such as the lack of a designated space, no clear expectations for staff, or outdated or unclear policies.

Step 2: Bring People Together

Lactation support changes can last longer when supported by more than one person at your organization or business.

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

• 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?

At the same time, not every organization or business has the capacity to form a team right away. If you are leading the change on your own, that is still a strong place to begin. Often, one person’s first step becomes an example that helps others see what is possible and builds 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.

Step 3: Explore Options

Across Michigan, community organizations and businesses are making meaningful changes using practical strategies that last. Below are three examples that illustrate community lactation support.

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

What: A local nonprofit organization supports primarily Spanish‑speaking and immigrant families in Oakland County. The goal of the project is to create a clean, private, and welcoming lactation space for families who visit this resource center, giving families a safe place to feed and rest with their babies with a lactation consultant on staff to support. Staff and community leaders will help shape and promote the space, supporting healthier outcomes for both infants and mothers.

Why it works: This change is sustainable because it builds on existing services, uses a dedicated space that staff and community leaders will help maintain, and empowers clients to take ownership. By involving both staff and community members, the lactation area becomes part of the organization’s culture, ensuring long-term use, support, and visibility.

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

What: Genesee County WIC serves low-income pregnant and postpartum women, breastfeeding parents, and young children, many of whom face nutritional challenges like iron deficiency. WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors lead outreach and education. The project aims to create a supportive, welcoming space to normalize breastfeeding and give parents a place to feed, rest, or learn.

Why it works: WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors already have strong relationships in the community. By integrating the outdoor lactation space into ongoing outreach and everyday WIC services, it becomes a natural, sustainable part of the environment.

Example 3: Breastfeeding Support Policy

What: When developing or updating breastfeeding supportive policies at your site, you can choose to set measurable goals, such implementing a minimum of at least one safe and comfortable space for employees to use, or you can keep the language more general. 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.

Why it works: Building a simple plan for long‑term sustainability, such as outlining who reviews the policy and how changes are made, can help ensure these supportive practices continue over time.

Step 4: Gather Resources

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: Read below to 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. Read below to 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.

Step 5: Make a Plan and Take Action

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

Step 6: Reflect and Share

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.