- Target:
- Ramtsein AB CC, 86 SVS CC, AAFES Manager, Kaiserslautern Military Community Center Manager
- Region:
- United States of America
- Website:
- maloney.house.gov
Health professionals and public health officials promote breastfeeding to improve infant health. Both mothers and children benefit from breastfeeding.
Breastmilk contains antibodies that protect infants from bacteria and viruses. Breastfed children have fewer ear, respiratory and urinary tract infections and have diarrhoea less often.
Breastfeeding also provides long-term preventative effects for the mother, including an earlier return to pre-pregnancy weight and a reduced risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer and osteoporosis.
Federal appropriations legislation has affirmed the right to breastfeed on federal property or in federal buildings. The most recent affirmation of this practice was contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005:24 Sec. 629.
"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman may breastfeed her child at any location in a Federal building or on Federal property, if the woman and her child are otherwise authorized to be present at the location."
President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590, on March 23 and the Reconciliation Act of 2010, H.R. 4872, on March 30, 2010. (See the combined full text of Public Laws 111-148 and 111-152 here.) Among many provisions, Section 4207 amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 (29 U.S.Code 207) to require an employer to provide a place, other than a bathroom a place, and reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk every time she needs to for her nursing child for one year after the birth.
We, the members of the KMC Mom2Mom, request a comfortable breastfeeding area for mothers of infants and toddlers of the KMC to use while visiting the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center facility as well as a safe toddler play area for children age 6 mo-3 years. We envision this to be a place for mothers and babies who prefer privacy when breastfeeding. However, it is not to be the only location for a mother to breastfeed.
According to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005:24 Sec. 629.
"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman may breastfeed her child at any location in a Federal building or on Federal property, if the woman and her child are otherwise authorized to be present at the location."
There are over 900 babies born each year to KMC families in LRMC alone, that would benefit from a baby/toddler breastfeeding and play area.
The current Kid's Court in the KMCC is for children 4 and over which is widely used, however, is not appropriate for infants and toddlers. We appreciate your support of the health and well-being of our military families.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Create a Breastfeeding and Infant Area in the KMCC Mall petition to Ramtsein AB CC, 86 SVS CC, AAFES Manager, Kaiserslautern Military Community Center Manager was written by KMC Mom2Mom and is in the category Children's Rights at GoPetition.