CCRNJ Recognized for Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers at Work

13 Mar CCRNJ Recognized for Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers at Work

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kathleen O’Keefe at 732-241-7429

CHILD CARE RESOURCES OF MONMOUTH COUNTY RECOGNIZED
FOR SUPPORTING BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS AT WORK

Neptune, NJ, March 10, 2017 – In an effort to commend, celebrate and increase the number of NJ worksites that support breastfeeding employees, the New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition (NJBC) has selected Child Care Resources (CCR) of Monmouth County as a “Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite”. A certificate of recognition was presented today at CCR headquarters in Neptune, NJ.

CCR was recognized for multiple breastfeeding supportive practices including providing
the availability of reasonable breaks to express milk or to nurse their child and access to a
private space for expressing milk or nursing their child. Studies show that simple worksite
support practices increase the duration of breastfeeding among employed mothers. Research also shows that breastfed babies have fewer illnesses contributing to less employee absenteeism.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies be exclusively breastfed
for the first six months with breastfeeding to continue, with the introduction of solid foods, at
least until the baby is 12 months old. Abundant research has revealed short term and lifelong health benefits of breastfeeding for mother and child. However, many mothers cite return to work as a reason for early discontinuation of breastfeeding. “I am grateful to CCR”, said Kim Telesca, a CCR employee. “I was always allowed the time to nurse (when my son was with me) or pump (when he was not). I was also able to do so in a clean and comfortable environment. It was important to me to breastfeed (or pump) at work because I
wanted to preserve the breastfeeding relationship I had with my son. I wanted to provide him with the nourishment of breast milk but I also wanted to keep our breastfeeding bond intact in his first months of life.”

“At Child Care Resources we understand the benefits of breastfeeding”, said Kim
Perrelli, Executive Director. “As an employer, making accommodations to support our
employees who want to continue to breastfeed makes perfect sense. These simple strategies provide so many benefits that give their babies a healthy start, with an impact that can last a lifetime. I couldn’t imagine doing otherwise!”

The NJBC encourages all NJ employers to learn about and become a “Breastfeeding-Friendly Worksite” and then to complete a simple self-assessment at: http://breastfeedingnj.org/breastfeeding-friendly-worksite-recognition-program/

The New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition is a collaboration of health professionals and
community representatives whose mission is to improve the health of New Jersey families by working collaboratively to promote, protect and support breastfeeding. For more information about the NJBC, visit www.breastfeedingnj.org.