WIC Breastfeeding Awards

WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Awardees The U.S. Department of Agriculture established the WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence program to recognize local WIC agencies providing exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support activities. The goal is to help local agencies and clinics to strengthen their breastfeeding promotion and support activities and ultimately increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates among WIC participants.

View requirements, award types, and application information on the USDA WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Program website.

Awards are valid for four years.

Congratulations to the 2024 WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Awardees!

Premiere Breastfeeding Award of Excellence

• Itasca County Public Health WIC Program

• Carlton County WIC Program

Minnesota WIC 2024 Breastfeeding Support Certificate Recipients

During Breastfeeding Month, we would like to take the time to thank all of our amazing Minnesota WIC staff for your tireless effort in promoting and supporting breastfeeding for our WIC families. Many agencies showed great progress towards the Healthy People 2030 goals of continuing to increase breastfeeding initiation and increasing those who have breastfed twelve months or more. We expect that most Minnesota local WIC agencies will aim to reach the breastfeeding goals set by 2030 or before! Below is a list of agencies that stood out in a few key areas.

For increasing the proportion of infants who are fully breastfed at certification by 20 percentage points or more from 2018 to 2022:

• Benton
• Chisago
• Partnership for Health-Clay
• Houston
• North
• Scott, Carver
• St. Louis
• St. Paul Ramsey

For increasing breastfeeding rates at 3 months by 20 percentage points or more from 2018 to 2022:

• Des Moines Valley
• Fond Du Lac
• Houston
• Meeker
• Morrison
• Mower
• Southwest Health and Human Services-Murray
• Southwest Health and Human Services-Pipestone
• Southwest Health and Human Services-Redwood
• North Country

For increasing breastfeeding rates at 1 year by 20 percentage points or more from 2018 to 2022:

• Horizon
• Southwest Health and Human Services-Murray
• Polk-Norman-Mahnomen

Health People 2030
The Healthy People initiative helps individuals, organizations, and communities commit to and take action to improve the health of all members of our community. The Healthy People goals set measurable objectives the lead us in a focused direction. Healthy People 2030 Building a Healthier Future for All is the fifth iteration; it builds on the progress that has been made in the past four decades.

While there have been many improvements in our breastfeeding rates over the years, there is still much work to be done. Together we at WIC can make a difference! Below is the Healthy People 2030 baseline goals for breastfeeding.

Goal 1: Increase the proportion of infants who are breastfed exclusively through age 6 months - MICH_15 (Target: 42.4%)

Goal 2: Increase the proportion of infants who are breastfed at 1 year – MICH_16 (Target: 54.1%)

Past WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Awardees

2023

• Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Community Health Services

2022

• Goodhue County Health and Human Services
• Meeker McLeod Sibley Community Health Services

2021

• St. Louis County (Gold Premiere)
• Olmsted County (Gold Premiere)

2020

• Anoka County (Gold)
• Carlton County (Gold Premiere)
• Fillmore County (Gold Premiere)
• Freeborn County (Gold)