Jan said: "the government IS putting money where their mouths are as far as
promoting bf within WIC."

Well, yes and no. I was one of the beneficiaries (NO, the WIC clients I
worked with, and the local WIC staff who were desperately happy to have me,
were the beneficiaries!!) of the early '90s funding for BFing within WIC. I
was hired in '93, and in '98 my position as BFing Coordinator was eliminated
because of funding cuts to our local agency. So no more gov't money in the
mouths of Tompkins County, NY's WIC BFing program.

RE: reauthorization $$ & WIC - perhaps the absolute dollar value has been
increased, but it hasn't translated into more money at the local level -
i.e. BFing support for WIC clients. In my county, it was BFing support
"out", computerization "in". And my understanding is that BF money is no
longer a unique and separate budget item - that BF $$ is rolled in along
with all the other stuff.

Interestingly, WIC programs are still required to have a "BFing coordinator"
on staff, despite funding cuts. How do they resolve this? Why, they just
*designate* a staff member (usually part of nutrition staff, and usually
already over-burdened with other WIC matters, and with no BFing
qualification necessary) - Voila! Instant breastfeeding expert! No more LC,
no more breast pumps, no more peer counselling program, no more anyone to
help a woman who requests formula because "breastfeeding isn't working out",
no nothin'.

Cathy Bargar, RN, IBCLC (NOT bitter about WIC, just very sad)
Ithaca NY (where low-income families no longer have access to professional
BFing support. SHAME!)

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