Contact Info
Minnesota State Office - WIC Program
800-657-3942 (toll-free)
651-201-4444 (state office)
Contact Info
Minnesota State Office - WIC Program
800-657-3942 (toll-free)
651-201-4444 (state office)
Peer Breastfeeding Program
Breastfeeding Peer Counselors are paraprofessionals with personal breastfeeding experience and are past or current WIC participants. Peer counselors are recruited from the communities they serve and often speak the same language. They have similar life circumstances and experiences as their clients.
Peer counselors:
- Provide WIC participants with additional breastfeeding education and support, allowing for informed decision making for infant feeding.
- Help build confidence and support breastfeeding goals.
- Respond to breastfeeding questions or concerns.
- Provide referrals within the WIC program.
Peer breastfeeding services have proven to extend breastfeeding and raise initiation rates.
Peer program stats
- Minnesota has 16 peer programs and 17 grantees (Scott & Carver Counties are separate grantees but work together as one WIC peer program) with approximately 85 peers supporting participants.
- The programs cover 27 counties, one city and one tribe.
- The current grant cycle is January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2026.
Map of WIC Peer Programs
The map displays counties where peer breastfeeding support counselors are available for WIC participants. Hover over the county to see the WIC program's address and phone number for counties with peer counselors.
Program model and policies
- WIC Breastfeeding Model Components for Peer Counseling (PDF)
- MN WIC Operations Manual, Section 4.8 - Breastfeeding Peer Support (PDF)
Resources
- Peer Program Feedback Form
- Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Text Messages (PDF)
- Counseling Questions and Topics of Discussion (PDF)
Peer program questions can be sent to Kristen Bricko.
Last Updated: 05/01/2025