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• Confidentiality: Participant Consent will be verbally given when the referring staff member makes a referral to the program. Both hospital and WIC-clinic based programs follow WIC confidentiality regulations.

7. Adequate supervision and monitoring of peer counselors On-site Breastfeeding Coordinators or Lactation Consultants • Initial and continued training of peer counselors • Assignment of referrals • Regular guidance of patient/participant care; provision of direct care for complex cases based on program protocols. • Consult as necessary to Program Directors and report regularly to Program Coordinators. • Providing first-line problem solving for peer counselors and triaging when necessary to program directors and/or medical consultants. • Provision of public education sessions to promote and inform community members about breastfeeding and • Shared review of program participant charts for accuracy and thoroughness.

8. Establishment of community partnerships to enhance the effectiveness of a WIC peer counseling program. The Connecticut WIC program has developed many community partnerships to enhance breastfeeding outcomes and the effectiveness of its peer counseling program. In the WIC clinic-based programs, peer counselors have relationships with area birthing facilities and have also worked closely with hospitals involved in the Connecticut Ten Step Collaborative, the continuation of the successful, Connecticut Breastfeeding Initiative (CBI), a 2009 CPPW project funded by CDC to assist 10 maternity facilities in Connecticut in Baby-Friendly designation. Currently, there are 9 Baby-Friendly Designated Hospitals in the State.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health administered a CDC SPAN 1807 cooperative agreement (2018-2023), to implement statewide breastfeeding strategies in collaboration with the Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition (CBC), Hartford and New Haven REACH grantees and their contractors. These strategies focused on increasing community support for lactation, specifically providing pathways to diverse lactation professionals.

State and local agencies maintain communication with the Mothers’ Milk Bank of Northeast (MMBNE) to educate and promote the use of donor milk. The State WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator participates in several interagency workgroups including the Substance Exposed Pregnancy Initiative (SEPI-CT), Preventing Maternal Mortality due to IPV Advisory Board, CT Food Policy Council and has ongoing communication with the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) Home Visiting Program (MICHV). These