In our ongoing series of interviews with candidates running for Durham City Council, we have the privilege of featuring Shelia Ann Huggins, a dedicated advocate and contender for one of these important positions. Shelia brings a wealth of knowledge and a strong commitment to making Durham a more breastfeeding-friendly community.
Summary of Shelia Ann Huggins’ Responses:
Support for Baby-Friendly Designation
- Shelia Ann Huggins unequivocally supports the continued efforts to have not only Duke Regional Hospital but also big Duke and Duke Primary Care offices pursue critical breastfeeding-friendly designation. This demonstrates her commitment to ensuring that healthcare institutions in Durham prioritize breastfeeding-friendly practices.
Addressing Funding for Durham’s WIC Office
- Shelia acknowledges the lack of supplemental funding for Durham’s WIC office as a significant issue. She plans to work diligently to understand the reasons behind this shortfall and collaborate with the county to address it. Her commitment to resolving this funding gap showcases her dedication to supporting lactating families in Durham.
Advocacy for Breastfeeding-Friendly Healthcare Providers
- As a parent who has personally experienced the challenges of breastfeeding, Shelia is a strong advocate for all healthcare providers in Durham, including Duke Primary Care offices, to pursue breastfeeding-friendly designations. Her firsthand experience brings a unique perspective to this advocacy.
Eliminating Racial and Economic Disparities
- Shelia recognizes the economic disparities that affect breastfeeding families, particularly parents of color. She plans to collaborate with organizations working to provide support to breastfeeding families and aims to make City Council a model of support for city employees and families who are breastfeeding. This includes promoting awareness, implementing supportive policies, and engaging with employers to improve breastfeeding support.
Collaborating with Businesses and Institutions
- Shelia believes that the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development offers a valuable platform to collaborate with businesses and institutions to extend breastfeeding-friendly policies and practices. She emphasizes the importance of helping employers understand that supporting breastfeeding parents results in happier and more engaged employees.
Equitable Access for Non-English-Speaking Communities
- Shelia is committed to ensuring that non-English-speaking communities have equitable access to healthcare and lactation support. She intends to provide materials and translators and work closely with these communities to identify and address their specific needs.
Support for Community-Based Breastfeeding Programs
- Drawing from her own experience as a breastfeeding parent, Shelia commits to supporting community-based breastfeeding support programs like Breastfeed Durham. Depending on the City’s budget, this may involve maintaining or increasing funding or utilizing City resources to provide support.
Improving Lactation Policies in Public Services
- Shelia emphasizes collaboration between public institutions to improve lactation policies in Durham County’s public services, including health departments and educational institutions. She believes in seeking guidance from organizations like Breastfeed Durham and tailoring policies to meet the unique needs of public-sector employees.
Creating Breastfeeding-Supportive Public Spaces
- Shelia’s plan involves working closely with city departments to identify opportunities for creating additional public spaces within city government offices that support breastfeeding. She also aims to engage privately-owned businesses to promote breastfeeding-friendly locations and provide information and signage about these spaces.
Shelia Ann Huggins’ responses reflect her deep commitment to creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for breastfeeding families in Durham. Her personal experiences and dedication to advocacy make her a candidate who understands the challenges and opportunities associated with breastfeeding support in our community. We thank Shelia for her thoughtful responses and look forward to witnessing her potential impact on Durham City Council.
This blog article was written by the Breastfeed Durham Team, who is dedicated to promoting breastfeeding, cheastfeeding, and human milk feeding support and healthcare equity in Durham and beyond. Stay tuned for more updates on this important issue.