Granville Vance Public Health is one of eight agencies across the state to receive recognition for its efforts to promote a strong breastfeeding program among clients who participate in a federal assistance program for women and young children.
The health department received the USDA Breastfeeding Gold Award of Excellence, according to information from the health department.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known familiarly as WIC, is a program of the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides healthcare and nutrition to low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women and to children under the age of five.
GVPH’s WIC program was selected for its strong commitment to the implementation and maintenance of their Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program program, as well as the effectiveness of the office’s peer counselor program and the extent to which the agency has partnered with other entities to build a supportive breastfeeding environment for women participating in WIC.
“We are pleased to have our GVPH BFPC program recognized with the Gold Award,” stated GVPH WIC Director Lauren Faulkner. “This program has increased participation through referrals received from our WIC nutritionists, taking this program from eight participants in October 2021 to 108 participants in June 2023.”
Currently, the health department has two certified lactation counselors and two designated breastfeeding experts, with a goal of having all nutrition staff in both clinics become designated breastfeeding to manage complicated breastfeeding issues.
Breastfeeding offers significant health benefits. It lowers a baby’s risk of various illnesses, including ear infections, asthma and respiratory infections. It helps moms recover much faster from childbirth, and it reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and certain breast and ovarian cancers.
