The Halton community has joined the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI), a global campaign supported by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

The Halton Baby Friendly Initiative is a community action group working together to protect and support breastfeeding through evidence based programming and the use of best practices. By promoting informed decision-making, collaboration, empowerment and public participation, the BFI hopes to increase breastfeeding rates in Halton.

• Who is part of the Halton Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI)?
• What is the vision and mission for Halton BFI?
• What are the goals of the Halton BFI?
• Can anyone become a member of the Halton Baby Friendly Initiative?
• How can I learn more about the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI)?

Who is part of the Halton Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI)?

• Community partners include key stakeholders such as, hospitals, agencies, community groups, health care providers and members of the public.
• The Halton BFI is striving to become the first Baby Friendly Community in Canada and the Halton Region Health Department, as an active member of the Halton BFI, is also pursuing BFI designation.
• The Halton BFI was initiated in response to the Infant Feeding in Halton (2002) study, which recommended that health care providers, breastfeeding groups and the local community collaboratively promote the Baby Friendly Initiative to increase the initiation, duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding in Halton.
• The study, based on a telephone survey conducted over a period of a year revealed that the breastfeeding initiation rate in Halton was close to the provincial target of 92%; however, duration and exclusivity rates needed to be improved.
• Efforts to increase the number of infants who breastfeed exclusively for six months can result in many health, social, economic and environmental benefits for Halton residents.

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What is the vision and mission for the Halton BFI?

• Vision: Breastfeeding is the norm for infant feeding in Halton.
• Mission: To protect, promote and support breastfeeding in our community by facilitating the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI) in Halton.

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What are the goals of the Halton BFI?

1. Increase the *initiation, *duration and *exclusivity of breastfeeding in Halton.
   1. Initiation refers to the number of mothers who attempted to breastfeed.
   2. Duration refers to the total length of time a woman breastfeeds.
   3. Exclusive breastfeeding means the infant receives only breast milk and no other liquids or solids with the exception of drops or syrups consisting of vitamins, mineral supplements or medicines.
2. Develop partnerships and collaborative strategies with heath care organizations, health care providers, consumers and multi-sectored organizations in Halton.
3. Act as a resource for BFI information in partnership with national, provincial and territorial breastfeeding committees.
4. Increase the awareness and the understanding of the positive environmental impact of breastfeeding.
5. Develop and implement a community-wide breastfeeding policy and guidelines leading to BFI designation in Halton.

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Can anyone become a member of the Halton Baby Friendly Initiative?

Anyone who is interested in protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding is welcome to become a member.

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How can I learn more about Baby Friendly Initiative?

• To learn more about the Baby Friendly Initiative, access the Breastfeeding Committee of Canada website.
• Visit the Halton Baby Friendly Initiative website.

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