The Lactation Advocacy Committee (LAC) is a volunteer coalition of University employees and students dedicated to supporting breastfeeding parents at the University of Minnesota. The Committee was formed by the Women’s Center and the Student Parent Help Center in 2009. Only three public lactation spaces existed on campus at the time. With significant effort from the LAC and from departments across campus, more than thirty additional lactation spaces have been created since 2009, and support for the needs of breast/chestfeeding students and employees continues to grow. In the decade since its formation, the LAC has played an important role in assessing and documenting the need for additional lactation support on campus and advocating for changes to better accommodate lactation needs.
The Lactation Advocacy Committee is currently led by two Co-Chairs: Anna Lifson (the Women's Center) and Mikaela Robertson (Boynton Health).
The Committee includes representatives from the Women’s Center, the Student Parent Help Center, the School of Public Health, and Boynton Health, as well as departmental representatives and campus community members.
All interested students, staff, and faculty are welcome to join the Lactation Advocacy Committee! There are several ways to get involved:
- Sign up to receive email updates from the LAC
- Attend an open LAC meeting. Virtual meetings are currently held twice a semester. Sign up to receive LAC email updates or email [email protected] to find out when upcoming meetings will be held and receive a Zoom link. First-time attendees are always welcome.
- Have an idea for a project? Want to complete a capstone project or class assignment related to breastfeeding support on campus? We welcome partnerships with students! Reach out to us at [email protected] to ask about current Committee needs or discuss your idea.
The best way to reach us is by email at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!
We want to hear your lactation story!