August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month
National Breastfeeding Month is underway! This month’s national theme is RISE: Resilience, Interdependence, Self-Determination, Empowerment.
There are several awareness weeks throughout the month.
Remember there are communication resources available to promote Breastfeeding Awareness Month and the cooccurring awareness weeks on the local agency WIC Communications and Outreach webpage.
Watch the WIC Facebook and WIC Instagram pages for content to like and share on your local agency social media accounts.
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Breastfeeding at the State Fair
There are many places to breastfeed at the state fair.
Please direct participants to the Minnesota State Fair website for places to feed their baby or pump while visiting the fair (Aug. 27 - Sept. 7).
There are five areas dedicated to breastfeeding families:
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Family & Baby Care, located on West Dan Patch Avenue south of West End Market and north of Mighty Midway. Private and semi-private rooms are available on a first-come basis. Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (8 p.m. Labor Day).
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Momentum Refresh, located on east side of Cosgrove Street, north of Lee Avenue.
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myTalk 107.1, located on the west side of Underwood Street between Randall and Wright avenues.
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TPT | Twin Cities PBS, located on the west side of Underwood Street at the intersection of Lee Avenue.
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KaiBi Mobile Family Care Center, located on the west side of Underwood Street between Carnes & Judson avenues.
All nursing facilities provide electricity.
Any questions - contact Rosie Pierce-Martin.
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WIC Coordinators
Please fill out the WIC and CSFP Service Award Survey 2027 for your staff.
The WIC and CSFP service year awards honor individuals with significant years of service working in WIC and/or CSFP to improve the nutrition status and health of mothers, infants, and children, and seniors.
Additional notes
- This award is for service of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 years by Dec. 31, 2027.
- Please include any retirees you would like to honor.
- Each survey can hold up to 20 staff names per agency. If you have more than 20 staff receiving service awards, please complete a second survey.
- Staff names will be announced and pins given at the 2027 Minnesota WIC Conference.
This survey should be completed by every agency, even if no staff have reached a milestone. Staff may decline a service pin if desired.
Please complete by Tuesday, Dec. 15.
If you have questions or would like to see your agency’s staff list from the last conference, please reach out to Tina Breitenbach.
Congratulations - peer programs awarded the Breastfeeding Award of Excellence
We are proud to honor and celebrate the incredible dedication of our peer programs in supporting, promoting, and protecting breastfeeding within their communities. This year’s awardees have gone above and beyond to ensure families receive the care, education, and encouragement needed to initiate and sustain their breastfeeding journeys.
Thank you to all program applicants—your commitment is clear and reflected in the impressive breastfeeding outcomes seen across your communities!
This year we recognize and congratulate:
- Goodhue County Health and Human Services – Gold
- Meeker McLeod Sibley Community Health Services – Gold
- Human Services of Faribault and Martin Counties – Premiere
- Itasca County – Premiere
- Lake County – Premiere
Honorable Mentions: Bloomington and Sherburne County
Learn more about these awards:
Any questions about applying for the Breastfeeding Award of Excellence, please reach out to Kristen Bricko.
The application period for the 2027 BFAE has not yet been announced. Additional information about the next application cycle will be available this fall.
Local agency staff should talk to their supervisor for approval before registering for training.
Refer to WIC Annual Required Trainings for staff training requirements.
The week ahead
Check out upcoming trainings and meetings: Local Agency WIC Calendar
Find new job opportunities on the WIC Job Postings webpage.
Submit job postings using the WIC Job Postings survey.
The WIC professional opportunities for paraprofessionals in WIC team is hiring!
Curriculum developer
The professional opportunities for paraprofessional (POPS) team is seeking a full-time curriculum developer to join our WIC workforce development project team! This flexible role (remote, in-person, or hybrid) is a fantastic opportunity for an early-career nutrition professional looking to build on their maternal child nutrition knowledge and gain new skills developing training materials for WIC staff. This is a temporary role, with employment lasting through the successful development of the training program, 5-7 months.
To apply: External applicants (job ID 374866 ): WIC Workforce Curriculum Developer
Questions? Reach out to Katie Hendel (khendel@umn.edu) or Lee Vogler (vogle030@umn.edu).
Monday, Sept. 7 (State office closed for Labor Day.)
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