Australia
The New South Wales Lactation College (NSWLC)
The College was formed in 1995--the inaugural meeting was held 8/8/1995 and 4 of the original committee members are still actively involved: Joy Heads, Anne-Maree Plektan, Angela Smith and Ruth Worgan. Joy was the College's first president.

The College has the following Statement of Purpose:

• To protect, encourage and promote breastfeeding
• To support and encourage lactation consultants
• To foster lactation education for health professionals

The College has a current membership of 252 people - comprising Full Members who hold IBCLC or meet the College criteria and Associate Members who are health professionals with a commitment to breastfeeding.

Our current membership predominantly reside in New South Wales which is Australia's most populated state with Sydney as its capital but many members from rural areas. The majority of our members are health professionals with nursing and midwifery qualifications who practice within the hospital or community health settings. Present membership also includes 2 General Practitioners, 1 Professor, 1 Psychologist and 2 Australian Breastfeeding Association Counselors.

The College has been proud to recognize outstanding contributions to breastfeeding in Australia by bestowing Life Memberships to Dr. Patricia McVeagh, a leading Paediatrician whose lectures inspire her colleagues and students; and Nancy Palmer, a Dietician whose early work was on breastfeeding rates and promotion.

The College's educational achievements include the establishment of 3-4 evening seminars per year held throughout the metropolitan areas - numbers attending range from 50-120 participants. Rural seminars currently held in 1-2 different locations each year with an average attendance of 75 participants. An Annual 2 day conference is also held in Sydney featuring international or interstate keynote speakers and is well attended. The NSWLC also has a Scholarship Fund for members to access.

In 1997 the NSW Lactation College became an incorporated body with a written constitution. In the same year the Network of Australian Lactation Colleges (NALC) was established and NSW has been involved since its inception.

The College has established a newsletter and more recently a web site that is linked to the NALC website: www.lactation.org.au

The NSW Lactation College was proud to become an ILCA Affiliate in 1998 and had great pleasure in providing volunteers to assist at the 2003 ILCA International Conference in Sydney. Angela Smith and Joy Heads are 2 of our members who remain actively involved. Supporting World Breastfeeding Week is an annual challenge that gives the executive an opportunity to come up with innovative ways of promoting breastfeeding statewide.

The College is able to influence policy making through representation at committee level with NSW Health and the NSW BFHI Committee.

At present The NSW Lactation College needs "new blood" as many of the current executive are coming to the end of their terms of office, so a challenge is issued to our membership to get involved.

Future goals include increasing our membership, providing more rural seminars in response to demand, and maintaining involvement with peak bodies such as NSW Department of Health.

Canada
Canadian Lactation Consultant Association/ Association Consultante en Lactation (CLCA/ACCL)
Membership is open to individuals, groups and institutions who are interested in promoting, supporting and protecting breastfeeding in Canada. CLCA/ACCL offers a quarterly newsletter, Independent Study Modules for CERPs, and access to recent audio and video conference tapes. The Canadian Lactation Consultant Association/Association Canadienne des Consultantes en Lactation invites you to visit their website: www.clca-accl.ca. The website is accessible in both English and French. Email to the affiliate info@clca-accl.ca can be handled in either language. Details of membership can be found on-line as well as publications and CERP offerings.

Great Britain
Lactation Consultants of Great Britain (LCGB)

LCGB's Annual National Conference takes place on March 23rd and 24th 2007.
We are delighted that the speakers on the main conference day (24th) are:
 Sue Cox (Implementing Step 4 - an Australian perspective),
Diane Weissinger (2 sessions - Lessons from Animal Behaviour and 'Watch Your Language') and Tom Hale (2007 Medications and Mothers Milk).

Our annual general meeting takes place on March 23rd, preceded by a choice of master classes led by the main speakers, and also by Sarah Brown IBCLC and Lynn Timms IBCLC (Setting Up Private Practice).

The conference is being held in Coventry , Warwickshire, easily accessible by public transport and by car. For more information and booking forms, see www.lcgb.org or ring 0044 339 9577.

Members are also invited to attend LCGB's first meeting after the AGM, on May 9th at
35 Portland Place, London W1. 10.30 for 11am until 3.30pm.

Japan
Japanese Association of Lactation Consultants (JALC)
JALC (Japanese Association of Lactation Consultants), which was established by 4 Japanese IBCLCs in 1999, became 7 years old this year. Currently there are more than 80 IBCLCs, including pediatricians, neonatologists, ob-gyns, midwives, nurses, acupuncture therapists, La Leche League leaders and so on.

JALC holds seminars twice annually, with more than 500 participants. Since 2005, Breastfeeding Support Seminars for physicians are held to improve the knowledge and practice of physicians. Small regional seminars are also held in some parts of Japan.

JALC published the Japanese translations of "Evidence-Based Guidelines for Breastfeeding Management during the First Fourteen Days" (ILCA, 1999), "Kangaroo Mother Care: a Practical Guide" (WHO, 2003), "Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding" (WHO, 2003) and "Complementary Feeding: Family Foods for Breastfed Children" (WHO, 2000). Some of the protocols of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine have also been translated and put on the JALC website. Other protocols are currently being translated.

The members of JALC are actively writing articles for journals published both nationally and internationally.  Recently JALC developed a statement in response to the "SIDS policy statement" by AAP.

JALC intends to protect, promote and support breastfeeding worldwide in cooperation with other breastfeeding support groups nationally and internationally.

Please visit the JALC website if you read Japanese: http://www.jalc-net.jp/

United States of America

ALTA California Lactation Consultant Association (ALTA CA LCA)
ALTA CA LCA meets five times a year in the greater Sacramento, CA area. Their focus is providing networking opportunities and CERP presentations for their 40 members.
 

Texas:
Dallas Lactation Consultant Association (DLCA)
Judy Eastburn reports that DLCA has approximately 30 dues-paying members, fifteen of whom attend their bi-monthly meetings. The affiliate's main goal is to support one another and provide continuing education opportunities.

Houston Area Lactation Consultants and Educators Association (HALCEA)
HALCEA was founded in 1991 as a non-profit professional organization for health care providers, community educators and volunteers who specialize in breastfeeding. In 1992, HALCEA was accepted as an affiliate group of ILCA. HALCEA meetings are held 9 times a year, some of them in conjunction with Harris County Breastfeeding Coalition (HCBC). Day and evening meeting times as well as meeting sites are rotated within the greater Houston area. HALCEA's meetings and activities provide an opportunity to network with area breastfeeding professionals. We share information, accomplishments and even our frustrations, in order to improve breastfeeding education and care to the families we serve. Your presences and input would be most welcomed. Meeting and membership information is available on our website at http://www.halcea.info
 

Lactation Consultants of Metro St. Louis, MO
Debbi Heffern reports that educational meetings are often in-depth discussions of recent JHL articles and how they apply to clinical practice. They also like to keep up on the latest teaching tools, usually videos, and preview them as a group.

September is reserved for presentations from all those who attended the July/August conferences (ILCA, LLLI, and others). Every meeting includes networking and case presentations/updates of previous cases presented.

Maine Lactation Consultant Association (MELCA)
Gail Martel, RNC, IBCLC, president of MELCA, reports that this affiliate meets four times a year and also sponsors an annual conference. On May 19, 2006 they will host a conference featuring Christina Smillee who will speak on Baby Led Latch. The affiliate hopes that the conference will help draw more physicians into breastfeeding support.

MidSouth Lactation Consultant Association (NC and surrounding areas of SC and VA, USA)
Mary Rose Tully reports that this affiliate meets quarterly for an educational program, sharing of cases, and discussion of the recent literature. They usually have about 20 people from across North Carolina. Hospitals take turns sponsoring the meetings, which take place on a Saturday, from 10-3. Meetings are a great way to get to know people from around the state.

New York Lactation Consultant Association (NYLCA)
Rose Rogers reports that NYLCA is involved in the following activities:

• Large Annual Educational Conference-helping to bridge the gap in breastfeeding education in the medical and professional communities, as well as for their members.
  NYLCA website -- Includes job postings, links to ILCA, IBCLE, and referral sources in the NY area.
• 9/11 Mother's Outreach Project
• Achieving nonprofit status, which enables us to seek grants and cut costs.
• Educational Stipends - Created to promote education, cutting edge skills and an interest in the organization without regard to personal income status.
• E-mailing - We send E-mails to members with upcoming events, job listings, articles and helpful websites.
• Regular Meetings - In addition to our yearly conference, three other meetings are held, all with educational content and CERPs.

Northern Illinois Lactation Consultant Association (NILCA)
Affiliate President Jeanne Cygnus, reports that NILCA has approximately 50 paid members and primarily serves those in the Chicago, IL suburban area. They are one of two ILCA affiliate groups in the Chicago area.

NILCA holds 10 meetings per year and offers an educational component at each meeting. Meeting attendance is usually between 10 and 25. They are long-term CERP providers and do not charge attendees for CERPs, whether or not they are members.

NILCA is a diverse group, with an even mix from all spheres of practice: hospital, private practice, public health, and community mother-support groups. They value the supportive atmosphere and consider this a place to celebrate what they have in common.

Ohio Lactation Consultant Association (OLCA)
Nancy Howe reports that OLCA was founded in the fall of 1985, just after the first IBLCE exam. Their founding president, Carolyn Zara, continues as affiliate historian. Many founding members, Madonna Fasimpaur, Jean Cotterman, Geneva Carnahan, Jo Williams, Robin Egbert, Sharen Ogier, Kathy Cakerice, Patrice Mangan, Ann Mercer and Sue Ryno, continue as active members today. One early contribution from OLCA members was contact with insurance companies to provide liability coverage for IBCLC's, and to provide coverage for IBCLC services.

Many OLCA members are active in ILCA and national organizations. OLCA currently has grown to approximately 300 members. Members are working on Medicaid reimbursement, collaborating with the Ohio Department of Health, and developing various position papers. Their quarterly membership meetings include an educational session with CERPs. They also sponsor a conference in the Spring.

Pennsylvania Resource Organization of Lactation Consultants (PRO-LC)
PRO-LC (the Pennsylvania Resource Organization of Lactation Consultants, in Southeastern Pennsylvania) PRO-LC is one of ILCA's first affiliates! Visit PRO-LC's website at www.prolc.org

Westchester/Putnam/Rockland Lactation Consortium
President Virginia Moore reports that this affiliate organized in 1990. We are north of New York City and consist of three counties with a membership of 100. This includes lactation consultants, hospital coordinators, nurses, physicians, dietitians, and childbirth educators, all bringing different backgrounds and skills to breastfeeding advocacy, education and support.

We have three general meeting a year with breastfeeding speakers and offer CERPs, ADA, and NYSNA CEUs. Every two years we give a large conference with outside speakers.

Wisconsin Association of Lactation Consultants (WALC)
Carol Cox reports that WALC now has 148 members--- the largest ever! They meet 5 times a year with programs offered and CERP's provided. WALC also hosts an annual conference.

Visit the WALC website: www.WALC.net