Virginia Breastfeeding Advisory Committee

Mission

To improve the health of Virginia families by protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding throughout the Commonwealth.

Vision

The Virginia Breastfeeding Advisory Committee envisions breastfeeding as the cultural norm for infant and child feeding throughout the Commonwealth.

The Virginia Breastfeeding Advisory Committee is comprised of influential Virginians representing various organizations throughout the Commonwealth.  Virginia Breastfeeding Advisory Committee member organizations represent a wide variety of practice settings and were selected to create a multidisciplinary membership.

The members work in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health to aid in increasing the incidence and duration of breastfeeding among mothers, while providing a statewide organizational vehicle for communication, collaboration, and coordination of breastfeeding services throughout the Commonwealth.   Member organizations were selected as those who can make a difference in increasing Virginia’s breastfeeding rates, reveal current data, make breastfeeding a priority within the Commonwealth, and establish a foundation from which an organized and concerted State Plan on breastfeeding can be launched.

Member organizations that comprise the Virginia Breastfeeding Advisory Committee include:

• Alexandria Childhood Obesity Network
• American Academy of Pediatrics (Virginia Chapter)
• Anthem
• Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Virginia Chapter)
• Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses
• International Lactation Consultant Association
• Old Dominion University
• La Leche League
• Lamaze International
• Medela
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners
• Virginia Cooperative Extension
• Virginia Department of Health – Obesity Prevention
• Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
• Virginia Nurses Association
• Virginia WIC Program
• Virginia Home Visiting Consortium