Breastfeeding peer counselors add a critical aspect to WIC's efforts to help participants to initiate and continue breastfeeding. WIC breastfeeding peer counselors provide a valuable service to their communities, addressing barriers to breastfeeding by offering breastfeeding education, support, and role modeling. They are familiar with the resources available to WIC participants and the questions a new breastfeeding participant may ask, and recognize when to refer participants to other resources when issues outside their scope of practice arise.
Training Peer Counselor Lead
Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program: A Guide to Getting Started
The purpose of the Starter Kit is to provide an overview and help staff have a successful peer counseling program at their agencies
Starter Kit Resource Documents
- Peer Counselor Sample Budget (Excel)
- Staff Orientation on the Peer Counseling Program (PowerPoint)
- Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Allowable Costs (PDF)
Training Peer Counselors
USDA has developed training to equip WIC Programs with a framework for designing and maintaining peer counseling programs.
WIC Breastfeeding Model Component for Peer Counseling
- WIC Breastfeeding Model (PDF)
- WIC Breastfeeding Support Learn Together, Grow Together
- Peer Counseling Training for WIC Managers
Training Resources
These training checklists and materials are for agencies and staff who are responsible for running a peer counseling program.
The Breastfeeding Resources Spreadsheet (Excel) contains numerous links to valuable breastfeeding resources. Staff can refer to this spreadsheet while working with clients, during staff training, or on their own.