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:

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
• American College of Nurse Midwives
• American Dietetic Association
• Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses
• International Lactation Consultant Association
• James Madison University
• Old Dominion University
• La Leche League
• Medela
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• Virginia Cooperative Extension
• Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Women & Infants Health
• Virginia Department of Health’s CHAMPION
• Virginia Department of Health’s Division of WIC & Community Nutrition Services
• Virginia Nurses Association
• Virginia Public Health Association