Search element - Quick search bar

Breastfeeding Friendly Early Childhood Education and Care Service

The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) recognition provides Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services with materials to support breastfeeding mothers of infants and young children in your care.

Designed with the needs of an ECEC educator in mind, this recognition will help you further develop your skills and knowledge to provide support to breastfeeding mothers.

As more and more mothers return to work within the recommended timeframe for breastfeeding, ECEC providers have an important and growing role to play in supporting mothers' decisions to combine breastfeeding and work.

What is included in the recognition?

Your ECEC service and educators will be provided with resources that have been specifically designed to help support breastfeeding mothers.

Blue heart

Certificate and sticker of recognition

To display in your ECEC centre to show your support of breastfeeding mothers.

Blue paper pencil

Learning Module

Unlimited access to a learning module for educators.

Blue woman

Digital information postcards for parents

These cards can be distributed to mothers and parents providing information on how your ECEC service can support breastfeeding families.

Blue people heart

Digital posters

Available to print and display in your ECEC centre to show your support of breastfeeding mothers.

Blue location

Listing on our website

Once your ECEC service becomes recognised you will be included in our list of recognised ECEC services.

Learning module for educators

Access to a 30-45 minute module covering practical workplace information on using expressed breastmilk and caring for breastfeed infants and young children. Topics include:

 

  •     Needs & legal rights of breastfeeding mothers
  •     Appearance of expressed breastmilk
  •     Storing, handling & preparing expressed breastmilk
  •     How your ECEC centre can support breastfeeding mothers

All educators are issued with ABA education certification

typing on laptop

1-year recognition

$99 annually

Recognition renewed every 12 months

2-year recognition

$160 every two years

Recognition renewed every 2 years

Prices above are for one recognition per centre, discounts available for multi-centre certification. Prices do not include GST. Please email bfwa@breastfeeding.asn.au for more information.

Requirements for recognition

There are six essential requirements for ECEC service to agree upon before receiving recognition 

Blue paper pencil

Breastfeeding policy or guidelines

Confirming there is a policy or guideline in place at the service that supports breastfeeding

Blue people

Employee awareness

Ensure that all employees are aware of the breastfeeding policy or guidleines

Blue handshake heart

Information for parents

Provide information to parents about how the service supports breastfeeding at enrolment and ongoing points of contact

Blue breastpump

Australian Guidelines

The service meets and follows the current Australian guidelines for the appropriate handling, storage and preparation of expressed breastmilk

Blue couch

Appropriate space

Provide an appropriate space in the service for mothers to breastfeed or express if they need to

Blue heart

Supportive culture

Agree to maintaining a breastfeeding friendly supportive culture in the workplace

Why become recognised as a Breastfeeding Friendly ECEC Service?

Benefits of supporting breastfeeding in your ECEC services

Early childhood experiences and caregiving practices, including breastfeeding, are critical to optimal human development. Supporting breastfeeding aligns ECEC services with Quality Area 2 under the National Quality Standard. This standard aims to safeguard and promote children’s health and safety, minimise risks, and protect children from harm, injury and infection.

ECEC services benefit when they support families where they are at.  This includes supporting women to breastfeed. Quality Area 6 under the National Quality Standard aims to recognise that collaborative relationships with families are fundamental to achieving quality outcomes for children. Also essential are community partnerships based on active communication, consultation, and collaboration

Legal requirements for ECEC services to support breastfeeding as a service provider

The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) makes it unlawful to discriminate against women who are breastfeeding, including those who need to take short breaks at work to express milk. It is against the law to discriminate, directly or indirectly, against a woman based on sex, breastfeeding status, pregnancy, or carer’s responsibility. Breastfeeding status includes expressing milk. It is generally against the law to tell a woman not to breastfeed or express in the workplace. Federal laws are reinforced by laws in all Australian states and territories that protect breastfeeding. It would be against the law, for example, for an ECEC service to: 

  • refuse an application for a child care place, or not offer a place, because a child is breastfed 
  • discourage a mother from continuing to breastfeed when her child starts in care 
  • not let a woman breastfeed or express milk on their premises, 
  • refuse to feed a child its mother’s expressed breast milk 
  • do anything else that makes it difficult for parents to continue giving breast milk to a child while they in their care. 
Australian national guidelines promote and support breastfeeding in ECEC settings

Recognition for your support

View current ECEC Services who are recognised as a Breastfeeding Friendly ECEC Service

Interested in being recognised as a Breastfeeding Friendly ECEC Service?

If you are interested, please submit an Expression of Interest Form

Image of three infant sitting playing with toys