Middletown, Conn., Aug 28, 2025 – In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) celebrated major policy changes around licensure for board-certified lactation consultants and increased access to breastfeeding support for all Connecticut mothers in efforts to better support maternal and infant health outcomes.
National Breastfeeding Month exists to promote the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers, babies and families, raise awareness around health outcomes, and encourage healthcare providers and organizations to promote breastfeeding initiatives within their communities.
Black Breastfeeding Week (August 25-31) was established to celebrate Black breastfeeding families while addressing maternal and infant health inequities with culturally appropriate education, support and resources for Black mothers and babies while advocating for policies that promote breastfeeding access.
Community Health Center, Inc. is dedicated to supporting mothers and infants across Connecticut with specialized prenatal and postnatal care offered at our Centers for Prenatal Care in Clinton, Meriden and Middletown. CHC also specializes in pregnancy-centered care and support offering access to nurse midwives, care coordinators, community health coworkers and lactation consultants through the IMON Center in New Britain.
Recently, An Act Concerning Lactation Consultants, which studies the licensure of clinical lactation consultants, unanimously passed the state legislature and was signed into law as an essential next step to enabling lactation consultants to be eligible for Medicaid reimbursement, narrowing the racial and socioeconomic gaps in maternal-infant outcomes.
“When it comes to breastfeeding, every mom has a really personal story that unites them,” said State Rep. Jennifer Leeper. “It is really emotional, and becoming a mom can be a really radicalizing experience. Ever since my own struggles breastfeeding, I have felt fiercely protective of mothers and have a special soft spot for first-time mothers. Having difficulty breastfeeding doesn’t discriminate based on income, and discovering that women on Medicaid did not have access to clinical lactation support felt wildly unjust. Breastfeeding support should not be a two-tiered system. However, after three years and endless hurdles, with the support of CHC’s Maternal and Infant Program Director Amy Gagliardi and State Rep. Kai Belton, we finally took this important bill over the finish line.”
“Breastfeeding is very important when it comes to health outcomes. I was very happy to support this legislation, particularly because we know there are so many families that lack access, and many of those families are Black,” said State Rep. Kai Belton. “To be a part of creating this legislation for our state means the world to me because we are really changing things for moms and babies in Connecticut, but there is still more work to do. We will continue to fight for Medicaid coverage for moms and babies, as well as support more International Board Certified Lactation Consultant training for women of color.“