About
the LLLI Peer Counselor Program
What
is a Peer Counselor Program?
For over 40 years, La Leche
League International has led the way in breastfeeding support and education.
The international organization has demonstrated a proven way of combining
adult learning skills and communication tools that respect women's own
personal life experiences, cultural diversity, and breastfeeding knowledge
with current, accurate breastfeeding information and support. We have
seen women not only increase the incidence and duration of their breastfeeding
but we have seen them educate and support their peers in formal group
settings and informal settings such as stores, churches, schools and
offices. Women can make educated decisions about their personal feeding
choices and reach their goals. We see them gain self-confidence in their
own abilities as mothers and breastfeeding supporters. Empowered, increased
confidence, experience in counseling and mother to mother support has
led many women to take on more responsibilities not only for themselves
but for other groups in which they are involved.
The LLLI Breastfeeding Peer
Counselor Program has led women from welfare to work by providing education,
communication, counseling skills and on-going personal and professional
breastfeeding support of an International organization. This unique
combination reaches across barriers to unite those interested in optimum
health for women and children in an obtainable and sustainable goal
of decreased mortality and morbidity by increasing the rate and duration
of breastfeeding.
Program Purpose
To
develop support systems within targeted communities that will provide
ongoing access to breastfeeding information and support by training
those interested in learning more about breastfeeding promotion, management,
support and techniques to help mothers breastfeed. These courses offer
ideal instruction for those who wish to support, protect and promote
breastfeeding such as nurses, midwives, dietitians, childbirth educators,
doulas, social workers, teachers, corporate human services personnel,
health-care service office personnel, mothers, grandparents and breastfeeding
peer counselors.
Ideally,
Peer Counselors are people who
- want to help mothers from
low-income, minority or other communities with a low incidence of
breastfeeding.
- have an enthusiastic feeling
about breastfeeding.
- have breastfed at least
one baby.
- are recommended by a health
care provider or a La Leche League Leader.
- complete an extensive
breastfeeding training course.
- present breastfeeding
information in clinics.
- provide telephone help
to mothers.
Why is
the La Leche League International Peer Counselor Program unique?
Statistics show an increase
in breastfeeding initiation and duration rates in communities with La
Leche League International Peer Counselor Programs. Launched in 1987
at the LLLI Conference in Chicago, USA, the Peer Counselor Program has
trained more than 402 Program Administrators and 4,700 Peer Counselors
in 23 US states and 28 countries around the world to help mothers in
their communities breastfeed.
The LLLI
Peer Counselor Program provides
- access to accurate and
current breastfeeding information and research through La Leche League
International publications and the Reference Library and Database.
- low-cost continuing education
provided by attendance at local Area Conferences.
- ongoing support through
local La Leche League Leaders and LLLI's resource network.
- affiliation with an international
organization located in more than 60 countries.
How can
you start an LLLI Peer Counselor Program?
If you are a health care
provider or community program director who appreciates the value of
breastfeeding promotion, and would like to be a part of La Leche League's
Peer Counselor Program, you will need:
- a recruitment process
for potential Peer Counselors.
- an appropriate meeting
place.
- a commitment to ongoing
support for trained Peer Counselors within your health care system.
- a source of funding to
cover the costs of tuition and materials per trainee.
- a La Leche League trained
Peer Counselor Administrator.
Testimonials
"It
has been estimated that at least 29 million dollars could be saved annually
in formula costs if WIC mothers would breastfeed for just one month."
- US Department of Agriculture
"Since
its beginning in 1956, La Leche League International has served a unique
function through its lay volunteers who provide mother-to-mother information
and support in breastfeeding and mothering."
- C. Everett Koop, MD
Former US Surgeon General
"As
Peer Counselors, we help foster self-esteem by helping women have confidence
in their ability to nurture their babies by breastfeeding. We empower
women with the knowledge to make educated choices for themselves about
how best to affect the lives of their children." - Teresa
A. Swensen
Peer Counselor
For more information on the La Leche League International Peer Counselor Program, please contact a Training Administrator near you:
Kathy Baker -- Illinois: Kathy_M_Baker@comcast.net
Barbara Cincilla -- New Jersery: Barbara Cincilla
Nancy March -- California: nmarch@cox.net
Beverly Spencer -- Metro Washington, DC: Bspen8401@aol.com
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:32:56 UTC 2007.
