SAFE Infant Feeding Team: Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Services
In a disaster right now?
Reach out before you have a plan. You do not need a contract, a budget, or a finished strategy to talk to us. When a disaster is unfolding and a coalition, shelter, or distribution site does not know what to do about the babies in front of them, we get on a call and work through it with you — every resource we have, in whatever order you actually need it. Most of the people we talk to in those first days are working inside their own crisis, and we treat the conversation that way.
Unfunded coalitions responding to a disaster receive this support at no cost. If you are somewhere with no local capacity for infant feeding in emergencies, that is exactly when to reach out.
Send us a message and tell us what is happening. If it is urgent, say so in the first line.
Disaster Response Guidance
When disaster strikes, organizations may not be prepared to address infant and young child feeding needs, or even know what to do. We offer 3–5 hours of custom guidance and support, at no cost, to organizations responding to a recent disaster or emergency. Depending on the needs, this support may:
- Provide clarity on what challenges caregivers and families are facing in the impacted area.
- Help organizations decide what kind of response is needed.
- Help identify potential partnerships for an on-the-ground response.
- Provide guidance on setting up systems for response.
- Provide digital resources and tools to use for education and other aspects of response.
Longer-term technical assistance and capacity building
The SAFE Infant Feeding Team provides technical assistance and capacity building to strengthen community readiness and resilience around infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IYCF-E). Our work supports organizations, agencies, and grassroots networks as they advocate for equitable policies, implement best practices, and engage communities in protecting infants and caregivers during crises.
Drawing on our experience responding to disasters and advancing health equity, we offer customized education, training, and tools that help communities integrate safe infant feeding into emergency preparedness and response plans. Our services ensure that families—whether breastfeeding, chestfeeding, or formula feeding—have the knowledge, support, and resources they need to feed their infants safely, even in the most challenging circumstances.
Since 2024, SAFE has supported communities in developing sustainable, family-centered systems of care that:
- Prevent infant feeding-related illnesses and deaths during emergencies.
- Elevate marginalized voices in disaster response planning.
- Center breastfeeding and human milk feeding while ensuring formula-dependent families are supported with dignity and safety.
We use a stepwise approach adapted from the Ten Steps to a Breastfeeding Family Friendly Community, mapping each step to IYCF-E goals. Our framework promotes policy, system-level, and environmental changes using an ecological model to achieve community-wide impact and resilience.
Equity and cultural responsiveness are at the heart of everything we do.
Our Approach
Our technical assistance begins with a collaborative assessment of community needs and priorities. From there, we:
✅ Share an overview of IYCF-E best practices, including CDC, WHO, and UNICEF guidelines.
✅ Support local organizations in convening diverse stakeholders and developing action plans.
✅ Help integrate infant feeding language and protocols into emergency preparedness plans, shelter policies, and continuity of operations plans (COOP).
✅ Guide communities through strategic steps, from engaging leadership to celebrating milestones and overcoming barriers.
We provide tailored coaching, celebrate successes, and help communities sustain their progress.
Services We Offer
The SAFE Infant Feeding Team provides organizations and communities with technical assistance over 2–5 years, including:
- Emergency-focused strategies to make infant feeding a key element of community disaster preparedness and response.
- Self-assessment tools to evaluate capacity and track progress.
- Technical support for advocacy campaigns, coalition-building, and public education.
- Training for responders and volunteers on trauma-informed, family-centered infant feeding practices in crises.
- Support for digital tools and social media to share critical information during emergencies.
- Cultural competency training to ensure emergency efforts meet the needs of diverse families.
- Event planning assistance and translation services to engage multilingual communities.
- Networking opportunities for communities to share experiences and learn from one another.
- Co-designed educational materials and printing of locally tailored resources.
- Distribution of infant feeding sanitation kits and childcare curriculum bundles for early childhood providers.
Rate
- Community groups of parents, nonprofit members, and unfunded coalitions responding to a disaster: We offer 3–5 hours of consultation at no cost.
- Health departments and institutional partners: Our standard rate is $105/hour, with adjustments based on organizational capacity.
Connect With Us to Discuss Your Needs
Supporting families as an individual or a small organization? See our guide: Infant Feeding Support for Clients in an Emergency.
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