The Burlington County Health Department and the county’s Women, Infants and Children Program – also known as WIC – have organized the fair to help educate new and expecting parents about breastfeeding benefits and supports.
August is National Breastfeeding Month and Burlington County is hosting a special fair to help educate new and expecting parents about its benefits and supports.
The Breastfeeding Celebration and Resource Fair will be held on Wednesday at the Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences, 307 High St. in Mount Holly, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature presentations and discussions from lactation experts, counselors and health-care advocates about the importance of breastfeeding and available resources, along with children’s games and activities.
The event is being organized by the county health department and its Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC). Some of the other participants include Aspire Youth Development, The Cooperative of Southern New Jersey, Legacy Treatment Center and Virtua Pediatric Mobile Services.
Information will also be available about civil protections and the rights of nursing mothers. Under New Jersey law, employers are required to provide reasonable break times for mothers to express milk, as well as a suitable location other than a toilet stall for an employee to breastfeed or pump in private.
WIC provides supplemental food, education, health care and social service referrals and other social services to income-eligible pregnant women, new mothers and children 5 years old or younger. WIC households are in all parts of the county and include military families residing on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Last year, more than 51,624 residents received services and more than $4.5 million in nutrition assistance was awarded through the county program.
