There are 45 businesses in Junction City that supporting breastfeeding.

Carissa Horton, Geary County Perinatal Coalition said that there were several steps taken toward having Geary County recognized as a community supporting breastfeeding.

The first step was to establish the local breastfeeding coalition. “We also have to have a peer support group for moms and babies – which we have the Milking Mommies the third Wednesday of the month…GCH has been recognized and enrolled in the High Five for Mom and Baby – and that’s basically for the women’s center and some special things that they focus on for moms and babies when they deliver at [Geary Community Hospital],” said Horton.

Having a significant number of businesses that support mothers breastfeeding as well as businesses that support women employed by them having a space to pump or breastfeed while at work were also important steps in the process.

“The last thing that we had to have was a minimum of 20 childcare providers in the community signed up to support breastfeeding, and we actually have 28 in Junction City that are signed up,” said Horton.

Businesses were given a window sticker to show their support for breastfeeding mothers.

Ashley King, Geary County Perinatal Coalition, said that the designated shows that Geary County has a multi-faced breastfeeding support.

“It’s a long process, it’s taken us three years to get there and we’re really excited that on Monday of next week we’ll be going to the County Commissioners to get the proclamation presented to them and then signed off on [to officially] show that Geary County is a community supporting breastfeeding,” said King.

There will be a community celebration for the designation on Wednesday, March 8th at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.

Those wishing to attend, must RSVP today by calling 238-0300 or emailing aking@gchks.org.