By Tonya Kubo
California Breastfeeding Coalition
Our team is gearing up to connect, inspire, and drive change at the 2024 Virtual California Breastfeeding Summit next year. Registration is now open, and
we invite you to be part of this transformative online experience from Jan. 23 to 25.
For 14 years, the Summit has served as the cornerstone event for lactation advocates all across our sun-kissed Golden State. It’s more than just a conference — it’s a movement and a platform for collective action.
What’s the Summit All About?
Our central objective for this summit is to act as a catalyst that inspires change. It’s about challenging the existing status quo, addressing the deeply entrenched structural and institutional racism, and spotlighting the inequities in lactation care and support that prevent families from achieving their desired infant-feeding journey.
Apart from showcasing the effectiveness of community programs, cutting-edge research, and creative interventions in human milk feeding support, the Summit offers an enriching space to:
- Evaluate the present state of chest, breast and human milk feeding.
- Dive into best practices from experts in the field.
- Acquire new skills that can transform care approaches.
- Share invaluable resources and tools.
- Network and forge meaningful relationships.
- Light the spark of motivation and galvanize action.
Last year’s event welcomed more than 600 registered attendees, and we’re gearing up for another phenomenal turnout.
What’s Changed This Year
In keeping with the California Breastfeeding Coalition’s commitment to accessibility, two major changes have been made this year: The Summit will take place entirely through the Whova event platform, and the roles included in the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor/Doula registration rate have been expanded.
We’ve heard from past attendees that switching between Whova for plenary sessions and Zoom for workshops is tricky. This year, we’ve found a way to do everything within Whova, creating an immersive event experience for all attendees (and no risk of getting stuck in a Zoom broom closet with no chance of rescue).
Since 2021, we’ve offered discounted registration rates to students and breastfeeding peer counselors. We made this change so that those most likely to be the initial point of contact for families could have the latest information in lactation-supportive research, education and care. This year, we’ve added WIC Nutrition Assistants (WNA) to this ticket tier.
“WNAs are the ones who answer the phones and greet participants,” said Jasmine Pettis Marquez, CBC executive director. “I was a WNA. I know what kinds of questions you get, and I can’t imagine not having the kind of knowledge and information available at the Summit.”
The following individuals now qualify for the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor/Doula ticket type:
- WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor
- WIC Nutrition Assistant (WNA)
- La Leche League Leader
- Nursing Mothers Council Counselor
- Breastfeeding USA Counselor
- Comprehensive Perinatal Services
- Health Educator
- Doula
- Parents
Check out our registration page for details on all pricing tiers. All ticket types come with continuing education credits for those who qualify.
What isn’t Changing
We’re continuing our reduced registration rates for the third year in a row and extended access to session recordings. In an effort to make the conference more equitable for all attendees, we eliminated variable registration discounts. Instead, we chose to drop registration by $100-$150 per ticket and standardize our registration tiers so everyone gets the same opportunity at affordable professional development.
In 2020, attendees paid $255-$355 to attend a two-and-a-half-day event. Now our Summit is three full days with an early bird rate of $150-$250 depending on ticket type — and continuing education credits are included for those who qualify.
“The problem with group discounts is they only benefit sizable organizations, which goes against the CBC’s commitment to equity,” Marquez said. “An organization that sends their only lactation professional to the Summit is no less committed than one that sends half of its 20-person staff.”
If you’re interested in getting the lowest price on your ticket, be sure to note our registration timeline:
- Oct. 2-Nov. 30 — Early Bird Registration, $150-$250
- Dec. 1-Jan. 8 — Regular Registration, $200-$300
- Jan. 9-22 — Last Call, $250-$350
- Jan. 23-March 26 — Virtual Box Office (recordings only), $400
All attendees will have access to the Summit content and recordings until April 25, 2024.
Your Speaker Lineup
This year’s Summit covers a wide variety of timely and relevant topics with speakers offering fresh perspectives. Here’s just a taste of who you can expect to hear from:
- Alison Wolf and Lisa Stellwagen, UC Health Milk Bank
- Ashley Sayers, Native Breastfeeding Coalition of California
- Jessica Lee, Center for WorkLife Law
- Kristin Cavuto, Kristin Cavuto Consulting
- Liz Brooks, JD, IBCLC, FILCA
- Monica Esparza and Jessica Marquez, New Mexico Breastfeeding Taskforce
Topics Covered at the Summit
Sessions dive deep on topics specifically focused on lactation research, trends, and best practices under an equity lens, including:
- HIV, cannabis use, mammary hypoplasia, infant reflux and cleft lip/palate
- Marketing tactics and ethics issues for lactation professionals
- Medi-Cal’s doula benefit, rights for lactating workers and lactation-supportive environments
- Successful programs involving reproductive justice, inclusivity, cultural safety
- Creative solutions to breastfeeding “deserts”
- Lactation-supportive clinical policies and practices
Secure Your Spot Today!
Embrace this opportunity to be at the forefront of change, to learn, share, and inspire. The future of protecting, promoting and supporting lactation and human milk feeding awaits. Visit our Summit page for details.