Since 2005, Illinois WIC programs have been implementing the Loving Support Peer Counselor program in their agencies.
Following USDA's Loving Support guidelines and parameters, the Peer Counselor Program provides specialized breastfeeding education,
encouragement and support to pregnant and breastfeeding women and their infants.
Peer Counselors do home visits, telephone consultations, hospital visits, and
lead support groups. Peer Counselors also assist participants with breast pump
use and provide outreach to hospitals and physicians on breastfeeding
services.
To improve breastfeeding support, initiation and duration rates, to reduce
infant mortality, to improve cognitive abilities and overall long term health
benefits of infants and children, and to reduce the incidence of obesity in
childhood and later life.
Local WIC agencies provide Peer Counselor services to eligible participants
at fifty-eight sites throughout Illinois. WIC staff refers clients to the
Breastfeeding Peer Counselor for ongoing breastfeeding support and
education.
Peer Counselors improve breastfeeding initiation rates: the breastfeeding
initiation rate for women receiving Peer Counselor services was 83.3% compared
to 60.4% for women without Peer Counselor services. (WIC Peer Counselor Summary
Annual FY10)
Peer Counselors improve breastfeeding duration rates: The one-month
breastfeeding duration rate for women receiving Peer Counselor services was
74.8% compared to 64.0% for women without Peer Counselor services. (WIC Peer
Counselor Summary Annual FY10)
Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program Fact Sheet
http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=32827
Illinois Loving Support Peer Counselor Programs are indicated in green on the following map.
To order PC Brochures, contact: Melanie.eader@illinois.gov
Illinois Breastfeeding Peer
Counselor Network
Peer Counselors across the
state stay connected using social media!
Who can join?
This Network is
exclusively for Illinois Breastfeeding WIC Peer Counselors and Peer Counselor
Supervisors. Information posted on this Network is not to be shared with
individuals who do not meet membership criteria.
How do I sign up? -Go
to the following link http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ILBFPeerCounselorNetwork/ Click
on “Join this group”. You will need a
yahoo account/id. If you already have
one sign in, otherwise you will be given an opportunity to create one. It will prompt you to complete your
information to join the group. Please
make sure you put a comment to the owner of the group. State your name, email address and identify
yourself as a Peer Counselor or Peer Counselor Supervisor from _______ IL WIC
program.
-Once your request to join the Network
has been submitted it will be approved by the moderator.
-You will receive a welcome message in
the next few days indicating you have been accepted as a member of the Network
along with etiquette for posting on the site.
-You can select how you want to view
or receive the messages (posts) - Web only or receive by email (you select
which email address will receive the messages). If you select to receive by email you
can decide if you prefer to receive them individually or in a digest
(several messages combined into one email)
Network
Etiquette:
-Be considerate and choose your words carefully as you post comments.
-Share concerns about situations and ask questions without the use of names.
-Support the work efforts of other peer counselors.
-Keep messages short and to the point.
Please do not:
-Speak negatively about health professionals or name them.
-Advertise or discredit commercial products.
-Use only capital letters as this indicates you are upset or shouting.
-Cut/paste and email information to anyone outside this network.
Please also consider:
When you
post to the group, your post is visible to all.
When you
reply, erase the previous post to reduce length of the text.
Quarterly posts will be sent
reminding members of the Network etiquette.
The Network will be monitored
regularly to assess the appropriateness of posts while staying within the
parameters of etiquette.
A ‘watch list’ will be established if
posts from an individual repeatedly become inappropriate so that oversight
is assured.
