New York State Department of Health Recognizes National Breastfeeding Month and World Breastfeeding Week

Department Aims to Eliminate Barriers to Breast/Chestfeeding

"Forward Together" Marks This Month's Theme

ALBANY, N.Y. (August 6, 2025) – The New York State Department of Health is observing National Breastfeeding Month and World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) by promoting breastfeeding/chestfeeding for the health of infants and parents. This year's theme, Forward Together, underscores the need for collective action to eliminate the barriers many families face.

"As a pediatrician, I've seen how breast/chestfeeding benefits a child's health," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "Breast/chestfeeding lowers the risk of respiratory illnesses, diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome in babies, while also protecting birth parents from high blood pressure and certain types of cancer. It's so important that we break down barriers in our communities, health systems and workplaces, so every family has the support they need to reach their infant feeding goals."

Research shows that human milk offers short- and long-term health benefits, as it provides unique nutrients and antibodies that help protect babies from diseases, ear infections, lower respiratory infections, and diarrhea. Human milk also decreases the risk for asthma, diabetes and obesity later in life. Babies can consume human milk directly by breastfeeding/chestfeeding (a term used to describe feeding a baby from a person's chest), or by drinking expressed milk from a bottle or cup.

Breastfeeding/chestfeeding rates have increased over the past 20 years, with more than 88.4 percent of New York infants initiating breastfeeding/chestfeeding. However, disparities persist and rates are below national objectives. In New York, 26.4 percent of infants breastfed exclusively at 6 months and 44.3 percent continue to breastfeed/chestfeed at 12 months, rates well below the Healthy People 2030 objectives of 42 percent and 54 percent.

New York State has launched several initiatives to eliminate barriers to feeding infants and children human milk.

  • In response to legislation, bills S.6707 and A.6986-A, the Department released the New York State Report on Breastfeeding Disparities in January 2025, describing the prevalence and disparities in breastfeeding/chestfeeding in New York. The Department conducted a literature review, evaluated breastfeeding/chestfeeding data in New York and described the Department's efforts to promote, support and protect breastfeeding/chestfeeding and reduce disparities.
  • Effective June 19, 2024, New York law provides all employees with the right to paid break time to express human milk in the workplace regardless of the size of their employer or the industry they work in. Employers are required to tell employees about their rights regarding human milk expression by providing them with the New York State Department of Labor's Policy on the Rights of Employees to Express Breast Milk in the Workplace when they start a new job and annually thereafter. In 2025, the Department implemented a campaign to increase awareness of employees' rights to express milk at work.
  • Health insurance covers lactation support and supplies. The Department's website provides updated information for New York State Medicaid enrollees and providers on New York State Medicaid Coverage of Breast Pumps and Lactation Counseling Services in a question-and-answer format.
  • The Department's Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding, and Lactation Friendly New York (BFFNY), 2023-2028, program aims to increase local capacity and support to improve the continuity of care for breastfeeding/chestfeeding and any human milk feeding families, especially in low-income and racially and ethnically diverse communities and to ultimately reduce breastfeeding/chestfeeding disparities.
  • The Department administers Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding Friendly designation programs for childcare centers and home day cares and outpatient health care practices, including pediatric, OB/GYN, midwifery, family medicine clinics and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), to promote policies and practices supportive of human milk feeding in these settings.
  • Free professional continuing education activities on current breastfeeding/chestfeeding topics with both clinical and public health significance, including the Supporting and Promoting Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding and Lactation in Health Care Settings webinar series updated in March 2025.
  • The New York State Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program promotes breastfeeding/chestfeeding with support from trained breastfeeding/chestfeeding experts and peer counselors. WIC offers additional foods to breastfeeding/chestfeeding participants to support their nutrition needs and can provide free breast pumps to participants who need them. All WIC services, including breastfeeding/chestfeeding education and support, are available in-person or virtually. Nearly half of New York State WIC local agencies hold Breastfeeding Awards of Excellence from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which recognizes exemplary breastfeeding/chestfeeding promotion and support activities that aim to increase breastfeeding/chestfeeding rates among WIC participants. Local WIC agencies across the state are now celebrating World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month with various events that are open to the public. Learn more here .
  • State and federally funded Home Visiting Programs offer support through childbirth/parenting classes, lactation counselors and cafes' and through outreach, screening, care coordination, referral and follow-up.

The Department also recognizes the short- and long-term health benefits of breast/chestfeeding for both babies and parents and has instituted policies that affirm the right to accommodations for lactating employees to express human milk in the workplace.

While not all people can breastfeed/chestfeed, there are alternative options to support infant nutrition, including expressed breast/chest milk in a bottle, infant formula, and donor breast/chest milk.

More information about this month's theme and related observances can be found here.

Community-based support available to families feeding human milk to babies can be found here.

Health insurance coverage of lactation support and breast pumps information can be found here.

More information about Home Visiting Programs can be found here.