London Food Strategy supports Baby Friendly accreditation
13 December 2018
The Mayor’s new London Food Strategy sets out plans to help all Londoners access healthy, affordable and sustainable food – including support for breastfeeding and encouraging boroughs to go for Baby Friendly accreditation in maternity and community services.
The Strategy includes the following plans:
What the Mayor will do to support change:
- Increase rates of breastfeeding, working towards making London a ‘Baby-Friendly’ city, making the Greater London Authority (GLA) Group more breastfeeding-friendly and encouraging boroughs to become UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative-accredited in maternity and community services.
- Support women returning to work with facilities at City Hall and across the GLA Group to breastfeed, express and store breastmilk.
Implementation plan:
- Monitor Breastfeeding initiation and prevalence at 6-8 weeks after birth
- Support the creation of breastfeeding friendly environments in public institutions and community settings for staff and visitors.
- By 2020, make City Hall a more breastfeeding-friendly environment including ensuring facilities are available for employees of City Hall to express and store breastmilk at work.
Work in partnership with Transport for London (TfL)
- Update the TfL website and leaflet sent to those applying for a ‘Baby on Board’ badge with information on infant feeding on the transport network.
- Brief staff to support those wishing to feed their infants on the transport network.
- Help to normalise breastfeeding through a poster campaign on the tube network.
Action plan
- Convene partners to produce an action plan by 2020
- Make London a ‘Baby Friendly’ city, including the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative.
- Make City Hall and the wider GLA group more breastfeeding friendly by enabling London’s Kitchen Café to be baby friendly and ensuring women returning to work are supported to express and store breastmilk safely.
- Host an infant feeding conference at City Hall with partners to share best practice and promote healthy, sustainable food for infants