Our Mission

The mission of San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation (SDBFCF) is to reduce socioeconomic and racial disparities in chest/breastfeeding support by increasing access to qualified lactation consultants for marginalized groups, such as BIPOC and low-income families. This mission is accomplished by:  (1) increasing diverse representation of lactation consultants and clinicians in the lactation field, (2) meeting the need of the community through low-barrier direct care and (3) expanding access to lactation support around San Diego County by reducing or eliminating chest/breastfeeding deserts.

From our president, Robin Kaplan, IBCLC

Becoming a parent is life changing. There are truly no words to describe it. We have all experienced those moments when we felt like our hearts could burst with joy, as well as the times when self-doubt felt unbearable and overwhelming. Having access to breast/chestfeeding support in those early days can be critical in building a parent’s self confidence, as well as guide her through those early stages of being a new parent. My lactation consultant was a lifesaver, in my eyes, because she gave me the tools and the confidence to breastfeed my children. She was one of the reasons that I wanted to become a lactation consultant.

What has become extremely apparent since I started the San Diego Breastfeeding Center in 2009 is the lack of access to lactation consultants for families of color and lower socioeconomic status. Breast/Chestfeeding support from a qualified and educated practitioner has become a benefit for those who can afford it, while those with limited funds are not able to access this crucial feeding support.

I thought that lack of access would be ameliorated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2014, as it clearly states that insurance companies are required by law to pay for lactation consultations by a qualified practitioner. Instead, as many of you have found out, families are being told that they have coverage for lactation services, but that there is no one in network. Therefore lactation support still remains an out of pocket expense. Lactation services may be reimbursed for the lucky few with excellent comprehensive health insurance. For most, especially those with less inclusive HMO’s, insurance companies have found extensive loopholes to deny these services, so much so that the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA) is filing a class-action lawsuit again the major national insurance companies on behalf of families who have been denied coverage for lactation counseling under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

I have become saddened and angered that lactating parents often choose to stop breast/chestfeeding because they are unable to get the breast/chestfeeding assistance to help resolve their challenges. I am furious that socioeconomic status significantly determines who has access to lactation support and who doesn’t. Rather than get frustrated and enraged with the system, I have decided to take action and change what is happening to our local families.

In March 2016, I filed the articles of incorporation for the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation (SDBFC Foundation.) The mission of San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation (SDBFCF) is to reduce socioeconomic disparities in breast/chestfeeding support by increasing access to qualified lactation consultants for low-income families. We plan to accomplish this through: (1) subsidized lactation visits with International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) at the San Diego Breastfeeding Center (SDBFC), (2) collaborations and trainings to improve culturally-relevant breast/chestfeeding knowledge among community practitioners, and (3) providing scholarships and internships for culturally diverse women to support them in becoming IBCLCs.

Will you help us raise money so that ALL lactating parents in San Diego have access to the breast/chestfeeding support they deserve?