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Breastfeeding Friendly Early Childhood Education and Care Service

Unlock the benefits of the Australian Breastfeeding Association's breastfeeding-friendly recognition for your early childhood education and care (ECEC) service! 

Gain access to helpful resources for strengthening your support for breastfeeding mothers and their young children in your care. Designed with the needs of an ECEC educator in mind, this recognition will help you and educators at your service further develop the skills and knowledge to provide support to breastfeeding mothers.

More and more mothers are going back to work while still breastfeeding. ECEC providers have a very important role to help these mothers. Take this chance to lead the way in supporting mothers to balance breastfeeding and work smoothly.

The Breastfeeding Friendly ECEC Recognition at a glance

Program overview:

Provides practical guidance for ECEC services to provide breastfeeding support in daily operations.

Who is it for:

Early childhood education and care services across Australia. Services caring for infants and young children

Key requirements:

A supportive environment, guidelines for families and staff and access to space for breastfeeding

Support provided:

Digital resources and posters, online learning module and ABA guidance

Cost of recognition

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.

Recognised breastfeeding-friendly services

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Explore services across Australia recognised with ABA for supporting breastfeeding families.

Learning eModule for educators

Access to a 30-45 minute module covering practical workplace information on handling, storing and preparing expressed breastmilk and caring for breastfeed infants and young children. 

All educators are issued with a certificate of completion from the Australian Breastfeeding Association

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Requirements for recognition

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

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Breastfeeding policy or guidelines

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

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Employee awareness

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

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Information for parents

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

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Australian guidelines

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

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Appropriate space

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

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Supportive culture

Agree to maintaining a breastfeeding friendly supportive culture in the workplace

Why become recognised as a Breastfeeding Friendly ECEC Service?

Why this recognition matters?
  • Families often worry about how returning to work or enrolling their child in care will affect breastfeeding.
  • ECEC services play a key role in supporting families during this transition.
  • Being recognised as breastfeeding-friendly shows your service values inclusion, wellbeing and strong partnerships.
What are the benefits for your service?
  • Strengthens trust and relationships with families
  • Supports children’s health and wellbeing
  • Promotes a positive, inclusive culture
  • Enhances your reputation in the community
  • Access to recognition materials to display proudly
Breastfeeding and Quality Standards in ECEC

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

Steps to become recognised

Step 1: Apply online

Complete a simple online form about your service details and current practices

Submit form

Step 2: Review and support

We'll review your submission and guide you with any support needed.

Step 3: Invoice issued

We'll send the invoice for the recognition fee

Step 4: Celebrate your recognition

Gain access to resources, complete the module and share your support

Ready to join?

Register your ECEC Services today!

By joining as a recognised Breastfeeding Friendly ECEC Service, you're creating a welcoming and safe environment that embraces mothers and families. Join us in making a difference!

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Breastfeeding Friendly ECEC Recognition flyer

Find out how your service can be recognised as a breastfeeding-friendly service with ABA

 

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Terms and Condition for Breastfeeding Friendly ECEC Service recognition

Understand the terms that apply when your service becomes breastfeeding friendly.

 

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