We are writing in response to recent Lactnet posts regarding the US Baby
Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) Certificate of Intent process.
There has been some concern expressed regarding the fee structure for
Certificate of Intent recipients, which was recently sent to all hospitals
and birthing centers who have received Certificates. This posting is an
attempt to clarify the current status of the US BFHI.
Previously, the US Committee for UNICEF and Wellstart International
facilitated the US BFHI process. Wellstart administered the BFHI with a
small initial grant from the US Committee for UNICEF. When these funds were
expended, Wellstart, a non-profit organization, continued to coordinate
BFHI activities with its own funds. In January, Wellstart, along with the
US Committee for UNICEF, determined that a NEW non-profit should be
developed to further the UNICEF BFHI in the US. The non-profit Healthy
Children 2000 Project took temporary responsibility for day-to-day
administration of the BFHI while establishing this new separate non-profit
organization to assure a stable future for the UNICEF BFHI in the US. This
organization, Baby-Friendly USA (BF-USA) is currently being formed. Its
first board meeting will be held in August.
A few very successful fundraising initiatives have taken place, including
the BFHI Fun-Raiser at the International Conference in Orlando in January
1997, and in Nashville this spring. The funds raised by these events have
been used to cover prior bills, direct costs incurred in the assessment
process, and the consultant services of Minda Lazarov.
It is very costly to operate the Baby-Friendly office. Healthy Children
2000 Project has donated the time of one full-time staff member to respond
to phone and mail inquiries, manage the mailing list, answer more than
twenty calls daily about BFHI, write, publish & mail the BF-USA newsletter,
coordinate the Certificate of Intent and Assessment processes and create a
free-standing non-profit. These activities are all focused on facilitating
the process of hospitals and birthing centers becoming designated
Baby-Friendly. Most of the time spent by the current staff members is in
providing technical assistance to hospitals and birthing centers. We cannot
apply for the grants that will be needed to continue the program without an
indication of support from hospitals and birthing centers. Aside from fees
and donations, the only other possible sources of funding are commercial.
We are sure you are with us in the belief that commercial interests should
not be involved in sponsoring the BFHI in the US.
The annual fees assessed for Certificate of Intent institutions range from
$500 to 850, depending on number of annual births in previous year. The
fees will help to cover: telephone, printing, copying and postage costs;
production of BFHI media campaign items, including a commemorative
Baby-Friendly booklet; fees for BFHI assessors and evaluators; and salary
for the newly organized BF-USA staff members who will coordinate the
certification and assessment process and begin looking for grant monies.
The support of the breastfeeding advocacy community is vital to the future
of the UNICEF BFHI in the United States. We have assessments underway
across the nation and the program is bursting with vitality and support. We
encourage interested members of the breastfeeding community to consider
becoming part of the process through the Friends of Baby-Friendly program.
Of course, donations of any size are greatly appreciated. Please call on us
for more information about BFHI in the US at (508) 888-8044 from 9 - 4 (EST).
Lois Arnold, Karin Cadwell & Cindy Turner-Maffei
for Baby-Friendly USA
|
