The Institute’s Dutchess County Healthy Families Celebrates Public Health Week by Unveiling the “Nursing Nook” in the Family Partnership Center

Poughkeepsie, NY (April 8, 2015) – Today, in celebration of National Public Health Week, community leaders gathered at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Dutchess County Healthy Families program’s grand opening of the “Nursing Nook,” a new, public breastfeeding space at the Family Partnership Center, community center on North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie, New York.

The Institute’s Dutchess County Healthy Families program, the Dutchess County Department of Health, Maternal Infant Services Network (MISN) and the Dutchess County Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) used the occasion to present their plans to make Dutchess County more breastfeeding-friendly to an audience of community leaders, most of whom are members of the local Collective Impact Coalition.

“We saw a need to provide women within the Partnership building a place to comfortably breastfeed,” said Iris Vasquez-Rojas, Program Director, Institute for Family Health’s Dutchess County Healthy Families. “The need was answered by donations from our coalition members and we would like to thank everyone that had a part in making this vision, the Nursing Nook, a reality.”

Joan Wright from the Dutchess County Department of Health commended the Healthy Families commitment to breastfeeding services, saying, “Developing innovative strategies to increase breastfeeding education and support in the workplace is crucial nowadays.”

The ‘Nursing Nook’ is a cozy, relaxed and private space where mothers can breastfeed and pump. The “nook” is located on the third floor in room 310, with comfortable chairs, a refrigerator and educational information for mothers. The room is open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. A key to the room will be available at the Healthy Families office in suite 209.

“This breastfeeding room is a great addition to our building.” said Pamela Tarquinio of Family Services, Inc. She continued, saying “I wish that my daughter and I had an accessible room for breastfeeding when our babies were young.”