Austin Public Health (APH) is taking part in National Breastfeeding Month 2025, joining a nationwide effort under the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee’s theme “Forward Together.” The campaign aims to highlight the importance of building systems that support breastfeeding families.
APH aligns its local activities with the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action’s 2025 theme, which focuses on creating sustainable and equitable support systems for breastfeeding. The department emphasizes that supporting breastfeeding is an ongoing effort that should be rooted in equity and community involvement.
The APH WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program continues to offer tailored services for Austin families, including peer counseling, access to lactation consultants, and virtual educational resources. This year, the program received the USDA Breastfeeding Award of Excellence in recognition of its work to promote breastfeeding initiation and duration.
Mom’s Place Lactation Support Center has been serving Austin since 1994. Staffed by registered nurses, International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs), and peer counselors, it provides lactation consultations, baby weight checks, family education, and training for healthcare providers.
Family Connects Austin/Travis County offers free nurse home visits during the early postpartum period. These visits focus on maternal and infant health assessments as well as feeding and lactation support. By identifying needs early on, Family Connects helps lay a foundation for sustained breastfeeding.
The Maternal Infant Outreach Program (MIOP) uses a reproductive justice approach to provide culturally responsive support specifically for Black and African American women. DSHS-certified Community Health Workers lead this initiative through home-based care aimed at building trust within communities while advocating for maternal and infant health.
The City of Austin maintains its designation as a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite employer by providing flexible policies for nursing parents along with private lactation spaces at workplaces. The City also supports all departments through trainings and consultative services designed to meet employee needs related to breastfeeding.
“By modeling supportive practices for working families, the City sets a standard for sustainable workplace lactation support across Austin,” according to APH representatives.
APH also works on expanding provider education by offering training programs that address cultural relevance in order to empower both healthcare professionals and families involved in breastfeeding efforts.
“This ongoing work—across direct services, education and advocacy—reflects the core of the WABA theme: creating durable, inclusive systems that prioritize breastfeeding as a public health, equity and human rights issue,” stated APH officials.
Throughout August and September 2025, APH will host events recognizing various groups within the community who breastfeed or provide lactation support. These include observances such as World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1–7), Indigenous Milk Medicine Week (Aug. 8–14), Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 15–21), Military Lactation Celebration (Aug. 22–24), Black Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 25–31), Workplace Lactation Week (Sept. 1–7), Semana de La Lactancia Latina/Latinx Breastfeeding Week (Sept. 8–14), and Deaf & Hard of Hearing Breastfeeding Week from Sept. 16–22—the latter marking its first celebration in 2025.
A city proclamation will recognize August as National Breastfeeding Month on Thursday Aug. 28 at City Hall beginning at 9 a.m., underscoring official support from local government leaders.
