Riverside County’s public health department has released a video promoting its Loving Support Breastfeeding Help Line, which provides 24/7 breastfeeding help and support to residents from English- and Spanish-speaking certified lactation specialists and Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs).
Established in 2000, the help line is funded by the WIC program and Inland Empire Health Plan. Partners, grandparents, caregivers and parents can call any time to ask feeding questions or to get lactation help.
The video, shown at the Nov. 8 Riverside County Board of Supervisors’ meeting, features Supervisor Chuck Washington sharing his own experience as a new father supporting his wife in feeding human milk to their daughter.
It’s a shining example of what is possible when local coalitions, community-based organizations and lactation advocates build relationships with elected officials and decision-makers in their communities.
In California, county supervisors oversee most county departments and programs, and annually approve their budgets. They also supervise the official conduct of county officers and employees; control all county property; and appropriate/spend money on programs that meet county residents’ needs.
When it comes to the protection of breastfeeding rights in your community, creating lactation-supportive environments and funding programs that protect, promote and support lactation, your county board of supervisors can be a strong ally.