Baby Friendly Initiative in the Community

Although the Baby Friendly Initiative in Canada has focused on the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in hospitals there has been an acknowledgment that in Canada the continuum of care extends beyond the walls of the hospital into the community. The majority of prenatal and postnatal care is provided by community-based health providers. Standards for Baby Friendly Steps and assessment criteria are needed for these settings to promote protect and support breastfeeding for all women.

The Breastfeeding Committee for Canada has determined that the development of the steps for community health organizations to becoming Baby Friendly must be a high priority for this coming year. An ad hoc committee has been organized with co-chairs, Leslie Ayres Jaschke from Alberta and Johanna Bergerman from Saskatchewan. The remaining five members are from across Canada. Information has been collected on models that have been developed so far within the country and abroad. This group was able to meet for the first time recently to discuss purposeful direction based on the information collected. They have determined that the model presently being tested in the United Kingdom is the most comprehensive and can be most easily adapted here in Canada. This model is available at www.babyfriendly.org.uk or call the BCC at (416) 465-7409.