Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding, and Lactation Friendly New York

The New York State Department of Health (Department), Division of Chronic Disease Prevention, Bureau of Community Chronic Disease Prevention seeks applications to increase local capacity and support for the continuity of care for breastfeeding and chestfeeding families, especially in low income and racially/ethnically diverse communities, and to ultimately reduce breastfeeding health disparities. The aim of this project is to establish a breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and lactation friendly care continuum from pregnancy through the postpartum period, infancy and beyond. It will promote evidence-based human milk feeding education/management; help parents meet their breastfeeding or chestfeeding goals; increase breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity, and duration; and reduce the racial/ethnic and community disparities in the prevalence of breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding in New York State.

The anticipated total funding, pending availability, is $6,912,600 over a five-year contract term. The anticipated contract start date is July 1, 2023. The Department intends to award up to seven (7) multi-year contracts funded at approximately $197,502 per contract per year, totaling $987,510 per grantee for each five (5) year contract.

Minimum Eligibility:

1) Applicants must be a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization or municipality in NYS including, but not limited to: local health departments, hospitals, health care systems, primary care networks, academic institutions, WIC-sponsoring organizations, Cornell Cooperative Extension agencies, community-based organizations, volunteer organizations and professional organizations. 2) Applicants must be an organization with an established presence in the community/catchment area to be served and will be required to describe this in Section 4: Community and Agency Description of their application. 3) Applicants must be pre-qualified, if not exempt, in the New York State Grants Gateway on the date applications are due.

Applicants may apply to serve more than one region and must meet the minimum combined population reach for each region as described above. Applicants must submit separate applications for each proposed region. Applicants receiving more than one award will receive a contract for each award with separate and distinct work plans and budgets for the communities in each award. Applicants receiving more than one award will comply with all specifications of each individually, including separate and distinct staffing levels, deliverables, and other requirements for this initiative.

Preferred Experience:

Up to five (5) additional points will be given to applicants that demonstrate the following experience (up to one point each):

• Experience working as part of a coalition, collaborative, or community group
  partnering with health care practices or systems; businesses; the Department-funded local Maternal/Perinatal and Infant Community Health Collaboratives; the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program; local WIC program(s) and/or other organizations to advance broad-based policy, system, and environmental change strategies with a focus on reducing health disparities and health inequities.
• Experience working with community leaders, decision-makers, and diverse
  stakeholders to achieve adoption of community changes (i.e., policy, system,
  environmental changes) supporting breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and lactation.
• Experience promoting health equity by addressing and reducing breastfeeding or
  chestfeeding health disparities, working with low-income populations, diverse
  racial/ethnic groups, and persons with disabilities in high-need communities.
• Experience working directly with underserved communities to better understand their cultural history, experience, and beliefs to ensure that breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and lactation support is provided in a culturally responsive manner that promotes health equity and reduces health disparities.
• Experience implementing institutional practices that encourage hiring members from the communities of focus, prioritizing racial justice and/or health equity principles when working with communities disproportionately impacted by breastfeeding disparities.

An Applicant may subcontract components of the Work Plan to be performed by Applicant pursuant to the terms of its application but is expected to state in their application the specific components to be performed through subcontracts. The total of subcontracts cannot exceed 49% of requested funding. Applicants should note that the lead organization (that is, the successful Applicant, as Contractor) will have overall responsibility for all Contract activities, including those performed by subcontractors, and will be the primary contact for the DOH. All subcontractors and subcontracts will be required to be approved by the Department of Health.