Press Releases
08/29/2023
WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence winners announced - Putnam Connecticut health clinic receives Gold Award
Contact USDA’s regional press office at SM.FN.PA-NERO@usda.gov
BOSTON, August 29, 2023 – At a virtual awards ceremony this morning, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its 2023 WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence recipients to health clinics that provide exemplary support to WIC breastfeeding moms.
“A major goal of WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) is to improve the health of babies and mothers through breastfeeding,” said USDA Food and Nutrition Service Regional Administrator Lizbeth Silbermann. “These awards recognize local WIC agencies that support WIC moms’ breastfeeding goals through the highest-quality breastfeeding promotion and support activities and serve as models for other local agencies to strengthen breastfeeding among WIC participants.”
Nationwide 125 awards were given out, including 18 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. The award is given at three levels of performance that build on one another: Gold, Premiere and Elite.
In Connecticut the following clinic achieved a Gold level award, the sole clinic recognized statewide.
Day Kimball Hospital WIC Program, Putnam, Conn.
“I want to not only congratulate the team from the WIC Program at Day Kimball Hospital but thank them for the compassionate expertise they provide to families in their community,” said Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “We know from the science that breastfeeding makes a difference in the life of the child and the mother. But at the end of the day, there are challenges for some who find out that breastfeeding is not as easy as they thought it would be. Everyone’s experience is different, and our WIC professionals are there to support parents and families through every step of this wonderful journey.”
August is Breastfeeding Month and each year celebrations are held throughout the month highlighting the importance of breastfeeding as the best source of nutrition for a baby’s first year of life. WIC serves about half of all babies born in the country and is uniquely positioned to help moms successfully breastfeed. In support of this awareness month, USDA announces its Breastfeeding Award of Excellence winners.
WIC serves to safeguard the health of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating including breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health care. More information about WIC can be found at www.fns.usda.gov/WIC.
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