Educators and students across North Carolina have shared their experiences with breastfeeding in schools:
“With my first baby, I was given no time to pump during End of Course testing… I leaked through my shirt and my jacket and my shoes were soaked in milk. I developed mastitis because I couldn’t pump when I needed to. Eventually, I left the teaching profession. It was a choice between the well-being of my children and my profession. I choose family.”
“I had no private space to pump, so I ended up sitting on the bathroom floor with my pump plugged into an outlet by the sink.”
“I have a friend who had a custodian walk in on her pumping, even though her door was locked and she had a sign up saying to come back later.”
These testimonies are reminders of the barriers families face—and why change is so urgent.
Durham’s Leadership
In 2025, Durham Public Schools (DPS) issued a proclamation in support of lactating teachers and students. By ensuring policies that protect breaks, provide private spaces, and prevent discrimination, DPS has taken an important step forward.
Statewide Lactation Accommodation Policy Proposal
The North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition is calling for a statewide Lactation Accommodation Policy. This policy would protect time for pumping, require dedicated lactation rooms, safeguard against retaliation, and ensure accountability through compliance officers and annual reporting.
Durham and other school districts, like Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Orange County Schools, Richmond County Schools, Public Schools of Robeson County, and Montgomery County Schools, have shown that it is possible. Now it’s time for the rest of the state to follow.
Read the full proposal below: