First 5 LA announced the release of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Cycle 3 Request for Proposals to support the implementation of First 5 LA’s Best Start LA Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. The Baby-Friendly Hospital initiative seeks to improve initiation and duration of breastfeeding by improving breastfeeding policies in birthing hospitals as well as increase exclusive breastfeeding at discharge.

An informational session will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. at First 5 LA. Please visit the First 5 LA Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative RFP website at www.first5la.org/Baby+Friendly+Cycle3 for additional information and application instructions.

This RFP is offering funding for training of staff and operational support to hospitals that are willing, ready and able to embrace and implement policy changes recommended by Baby-Friendly USA. Operational costs may include the following areas:

• Staff time to attend training
• Assessment fees payable to Baby-Friendly USA
• Some administrative costs (i.e., data collection staff and project coordinator)

Applicants responding to this RFP must have the qualifications and ability to successfully provide programmatic, fiscal and administrative infrastructure to support the proposed project. Applicants must have the desire to achieve their Baby Friendly designation with Baby Friendly USA, a three-year process that follows the 4-D pathway.

Interested applicants must prepare and submit all required documents as described in the RFP no later than 5:00 p.m. PST on Jan. 30, 2013.

For additional information, please contact Andrea Welsing, Program Officer, at (213) 482-7546 or email at babyfriendly@first5la.org.

Contact: Jaime Garcia
(213) 538-0702, jgarcia@hasc.org