SFDPH’S WIC Program Wins Prestigious National Breastfeeding Award

San Francisco, CA — The San Francisco Department of Public Health’s (SFDPH), Women, Infants and Children (SF WIC) Program has received the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service's Premiere Breastfeeding Award of Excellence, one of the nation's highest honors for local WIC agencies. The award was presented during SFDPH's Breastfeeding Awareness Walk and Rally in recognition of National Breastfeeding Month.

The award recognizes SF WIC's leadership in helping families successfully breastfeed through innovative services, culturally responsive care, and strong community partnerships. It honors local WIC agencies that demonstrate excellence in supporting breastfeeding families and advancing maternal and infant health.

“For SFDPH’s WIC, the award represents more than a certificate, it honors years of grassroots, hands‑on work supporting thousands of San Francisco families,” said San Francisco Director of Health Daniel Tsai, “Our Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program has grown into a trusted network of guidance, cultural understanding, and lived experience. We are so proud that the team’s hard work has been recognized with this prestigious award.”

Over the past year, SF WIC has expanded innovative breastfeeding support services that connect families with trusted guidance throughout pregnancy and early parenthood.

By the Numbers (FY 2024-2025)

• Served 13,149 WIC participants
• Peer counselors made 2,369 contacts with families
• 828 parents participated in the Peer Counselor Program
• International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants completed 36 in-home visits for medically or logistically complex cases

SF WIC's nationally recognized approach combines professional lactation support with peer counselors who are former WIC participants themselves, providing culturally responsive guidance rooted in lived experience. The program also offers multilingual services, breastfeeding education, and breast pumps for eligible families to help reduce barriers to breastfeeding.

The award also recognizes SF WIC's leadership in shaping policies that support breastfeeding families and its alignment with Mayor Daniel Lurie's Strong Start Initiative, which seeks to improve outcomes for children and families from pregnancy through early childhood.

Continuing National Breastfeeding Month

SFDPH's Breastfeeding Awareness Walk and Rally brought together families, healthcare providers, advocates, and community organizations to celebrate National Breastfeeding Month and raise awareness about the lifelong health benefits of breastfeeding.

Later this month, SFDPH and the Mother's Milk Bank will host the 3rd Annual Human Milk Donation Drive at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on August 26 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Last year's drive collected approximately 2,500 ounces of donor milk to support premature and medically fragile infants in San Francisco and across the country.