This infant has rights in relation to breastfeeding that should be supported
by both child protection and health authorities. Child protection should be
exploring options to keep mother and child together until the hearing.
Should the child be removed from her care, the mother should be assisted to
express her milk and regular transport of that milk to the infant be
arranged. Frequent contact visits in which breastfeeding is supported should
be arranged. The infant should be placed with a foster carer who understands
how to care for a breastfed infant. The infant's paediatrician should act as
an advocate for the health and wellbeing of this baby. Child protection
authorities should understand that if their actions result in the permanent
severance of breastfeeding that should the child be returned to maternal
care that they have greatly increased the risk of the child being neglected
by her mother.

I'll just paste in a little from a draft paper on this subject.

How child protection authorities can support the rights of the breastfed
infant

1)	Have policies in place that recognise the rights of breastfeeding
children and provide training to staff on these policies and the reasons for
their existence.  Such policies should underline that breastfeeding itself,
regardless of the age of the child, is not a cause for concern.
2)	Explore options for keeping mother and child together while child
protection investigations proceed. This may include: mother and child being
placed in a mother-baby unit, mother and child staying under the care of
relatives or friends.
3)	If physical separation of mother and child is unavoidable: ensuring
that frequent contact between mother and child is facilitated, during which
time breastfeeding is encouraged, providing a double electric breastpump and
expression containers to the mother, providing lactation support to the
mother, enabling transport of breastmilk to the child, education of the
foster carer on the storage and feeding of expressed breastmilk and the
behaviour of breastfed infants. 

Conclusion
The UNCRC and other human rights instruments outline the rights that
children have in relation to breastfeeding. Child protection authorities
have the responsibility to uphold these rights while investigations into
possible neglect and/or abuse proceed. Policies should be put in place to
ensure that breastfeeding children in contact with child protection
authorities have their rights supported.


Karleen Gribble
Australia

-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Terri Klein
Sent: Saturday, 14 May 2011 2:28 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: custody and breastfeeding.

Hello,
I once again need assistance with someone with more expertise. The situation
is mom is losing custody of her 1 day old infant to foster care. The actual
hearing will be a few weeks away. She had another child and this child has
also been removed. I don't know all the dynamics around the case but she is
married and apparently is the behavior of the father is part of the reason
for removal. Mom and baby neg  for drugscreen. Baby is breastfeeding. Mom
had C/S delivery yesterday. Using a nipple shield because of tongue
thrusting in infant and are trying to latch without shield.
The issue is. Should I encourage her to continue pumping and offer a manual
pump and save the milk if the hearing goes her way. Or the option of
donating her milk to  a milk bank if she doesn't have custody. This poor mom
has already felt that she has lost everything.
She said she wants a tubal done if she can't keep her. I told her to talk
with her OB he could arrange it in 6 wks. 
Your guidance is needed ASAP! Please email me privately.
Thanks,
Terri Klein RN IBCLC, RLC

Terri Klein RN, IBCLC, RLC
Lactation Support Services
Mother- Baby Connection
Central Michigan Community Hospital
A McLaren Health Service
A 100 Reuters top 100 Hospitals Award Winner
1221 South Drive
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
Phone (989)772-3856
Fax (989)7726853
 
The information contained in this communication, including attachments, is
confidential, may be priviledged and is only intended for the recipient(s).
Unauthorized use, disclosure, forwarding or copying is strictly prohibited
and maybe unlawful. If you received this communication in error, pleas
notify me IMMEDIATLEY at the phone number listed.Please consider the
environment before printing this e-mail 


 Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set
lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome