BREASTFEEDING PROMOTION & SUPPORT WPPM #630-12 Subject: Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program Item: Peer Counselors: Requirements and Responsibilities

Revised California WIC Policy and Procedure Manual Page 1 of 2 November 26, 2025 PURPOSE: To provide information on the Breastfeeding Peer Counseling (BFPC) Program’s peer counselor (PC) requirements and responsibilities. POLICY: I. All local agencies (LAs) with a BFPC Program must hire PCs who meet USDA requirements. Refer to Procedures I. II. PCs must provide BFPC Program services in one-on-one and group settings for BFPC Program participants, with a goal of increasing breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity, and duration rates. III. PCs must be trained by and work under the supervision of the PC Supervisor/ International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Refer to WPPM 630-11. PROCEDURES: I. PC Qualifications. PC candidates must: A. Be paraprofessionals (i.e., individuals without extended professional training in health, nutrition, or clinical management of breastfeeding and who are not licensed or credentialed as healthcare, nutrition, or lactation consultant professionals). B. Be enthusiastic about breastfeeding and have a desire to share that enthusiasm. C. Be recruited and hired from the target population. D. Have excellent communication skills. E. Have previous experience with breastfeeding, having breastfed at least one baby. F. Speak the same language as the target population, and to the extent possible, represent the same racial/ethnic background as the participants they support. II. PC Responsibilities. PCs must: A. Provide basic breastfeeding information and support to pregnant and breastfeeding participants. B. Counsel pregnant and breastfeeding participants to help avoid and address common breastfeeding problems. C. Maintain regular contact (e.g., telephone, in person, in a hospital, at home, email, text/chat messaging, videoconference, etc.) in accordance with the frequency

BREASTFEEDING PROMOTION & SUPPORT WPPM #630-12 Subject: Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program Item: Peer Counselors: Requirements and Responsibilities

Revised November 26, 2025 California WIC Policy and Procedure Manual Page 2 of 2 intervals in WPPM 630-13. For virtual contacts, refer to WPPM 220-20 and WPPM 220-30. D. Provide support and information to breastfeeding participants who are working or going to school. E. Document all counseling contacts and follow procedures for identifying PC participants in the CDPH/WIC approved management information system. F. Teach the use, cleaning, and assembly of breast pumps, in addition to expression and storage of human milk as needed. G. Clean pumps as needed to meet the needs of participants enrolled in the BFPC Program. H. Facilitate prenatal and/or postpartum breastfeeding support groups for BFPC Program participants. I. Make immediate referrals to the IBCLC, healthcare professionals, or other community resources, according to the LA’s established referral protocol, when they encounter: 1. Breastfeeding problems outside of the normal breastfeeding experience and the PC scope of practice. Refer to When to Yield: Guidelines for Referring to an IBCLC/HCP/CPA. 2. Breastfeeding problems that are not resolved within 24-48 hours of their intervention. 3. Problems in an area other than breastfeeding. J. Make PC services available outside the usual WIC site environment and usual hours of operation. AUTHORITY: USDA Breastfeeding Curriculum WIC Breastfeeding Model Components for Peer Counseling CROSS REFERENCE: WPPM 220-20 Virtual Breastfeeding Support and Telelactation WPPM 220-30 Telehealth Privacy and Confidentiality WPPM 630-11 Peer Counseling Supervisor/IBCLC: Requirements and Responsibilities WPPM 630-13 Contacts RESOURCE: Breastfeeding Peer Counselor (BFPC) Program Guidance Manual When to Yield: Guidelines for Referring to an IBCLC/HCP/CPA