Maryland/DC Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace Awards and Healthcare
Professionals Awards Resuming 2021!
New Childcare Provider Recognition Award Added!


October 10, 2021

Following a hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maryland and DC Breastfeeding Coalitions are excited to announce the resumption of their Annual Breastfeeding- Friendly Workplace and Healthcare Professionals Awards. We are also inaugurating a Childcare Provider Recognition Award in appreciation of the critical role daycare providers play in supporting breastfeeding.

We welcome and encourage applications from all Maryland and DC area Businesses, Childcare Providers, and Healthcare Provider Offices committed to supporting breastfeeding in the workplace. The Awards this year will also acknowledge the unique challenges and opportunities created by the COVID- 19 pandemic.

Since 2010, the Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace Award has been granted to well over 140 businesses, recognizing demonstrated support for breastfeeding through a conducive office environment. The Healthcare Professional Awards, which began in 2014, recognizes demonstrated support for breastfeeding through a conducive office environment and education of fellow healthcare professionals, office staff and families.

Studies show that employees enrolled in a company-provided lactation support program is a Win-Win situation. Employers benefit through increased rates of retention, employee satisfaction and morale. Mothers and babies also benefit from decreased health care and insurance costs, and a reduction in sick leave requests to care for an ill child.

Because of these demonstrated benefits, the Affordable Care Act, the District of Columbia's Human Rights Act, and the Baltimore City Lactation Accommodations in the Workplace Ordinance require businesses to provide a clean, private space, and flexible, reasonable unpaid breaks for women to express their milk during work hours without discrimination. Despite these requirements, many businesses still do not provide the necessary support for breastfeeding mothers.

To nominate your Business, Childcare Provider or Healthcare Provider office, please go to the DCBFC website or the MBC website by November 30, 2021.

  • Employees may nominate their employers but must have consent from the business to have a site visit conducted to confirm the nomination.
  • Sites previously awarded at the bronze or silver levels are eligible for nomination if seeking a higher level of recognition.
  • Applications will be reviewed by Coalition Workplace Committee members and assigned points according to specific criteria.
  • Site visits will occur, and winners will receive their awards at our Virtual Awards Ceremony in January, 2022. Bronze, Silver, and Gold winners will also be publicly announced on the MBC and DCBFC websites and our other social media sites. DCBFC and MBC are nonprofit organizations that unite breastfeeding advocates, healthcare providers, and families to provide a forum for the development and exchange of resources to foster the establishment of breastfeeding as the normal way to nurture infants. Please join us as we continue to recognize places of business childcare providers and health care providers, which jointly honor their employees' and patients' commitment and contributions to their place of employment and to the health and future of their children. Contact Dr. Dana Silver and Karen Dacey at workplaceaward@mdbfc.org or Dr. Jessica Nash at jnash@dcbfc.org for any questions.

P.O. Box 29214, Washington, DC 20017 • Tel 202-470-2732 • email info@dcbfc.org

Medical Disclaimer: The information presented here is not intended to diagnose health problems, breastfeeding problems, or to take the place of professional medical care. If you have persistent breastfeeding problems, or if you have further questions, please consult your health care provider. The DC Breastfeeding Coalition does not share partnership with, or have any vested interest in, any of the businesses that may appear on this site, or sites that may be accessible by links herein contained.