PUTNAM — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently awarded a Gold 2023 WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence to Day Kimball Hospital’s WIC Program for its exemplary support to WIC breastfeeding moms.
The local program was the sole clinic recognized in Connecticut.
 “I want to not only congratulate the team from the WIC Program at Day Kimball Hospital but thank them for the compassionate expertise they provide to families in their community,” said state Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD.
 “We know from the science that breastfeeding makes a difference in the life of the child and the mother. But at the end of the day, there are challenges for some who find out that breastfeeding is not as easy as they thought it would be. Everyone’s experience is different, and our WIC professionals are there to support parents and families through every step of this wonderful journey.”
Nationwide 125 awards were given out, including 18 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
The award is given at three levels of performance that build on one another: Gold, Premiere and Elite.
“A major goal of WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) is to improve the health of babies and mothers through breastfeeding,” said USDA Food and Nutrition Service Regional Administrator Lizbeth Silbermann. “These awards recognize local WIC agencies that support WIC moms’ breastfeeding goals through the highest-quality breastfeeding promotion and support activities and serve as models for other local agencies to strengthen breastfeeding among WIC participants.”

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