We commit to collaboration, respecting differences, identifying common ground, and advocating for social justice.

Charitable Care Program

Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin is committed to caring for all babies with a medical need for human milk.

Charitable care save babies’ live

Our Charitable Care Program ensures life-saving donor human milk is provided to all infants with a need, regardless of the family’s ability to pay. As one of the only milk banks in the country to offer a Charitable Care Program, we ensure that the sickest and most fragile babies are served and that no baby will be denied care due to a lack of insurance or financial resources.

We’re able to provide this program because of the generosity of individual supporters, business partners, and foundations. 100% of the donations we receive are dedicated to supporting our mission and our lifesaving programs like the Charitable Care Program.

With 17% of all children in Texas and 10% in the U.S. lacking health insurance, we continue to experience a significant need for charitable care. Texas Medicaid only pays a portion of the milk fee for qualified babies so there is still a significant percentage of the fee that is not covered, in addition to any shipping costs.

The necessity for this critical program continues to grow year-after-year.  In 2020, we provided approximately $250,000 of charitable care to babies throughout the United States who needed donor milk to survive but whose families did not have the financial resources to cover the costs. Without support, these benefits may run out.

Everyone can be a lifesaver.

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Education Program

The Breast Milk Equity

Mission

To decrease health outcome disparities for black mothers and infants through breastfeeding education and support.

Background

• MMBA is committed to addressing issues of inequity in access to human milk, both mothers’ own and donor human milk.  We know that access to breastfeeding education and support, achievement of breastfeeding goals, access to donor human milk, and donating human milk to help others survive are all inequitably distributed.
• More specifically, the African American population in Austin, TX, as in other cities, is disproportionately affected by high prematurity and infant mortality and low breastfeeding rates. Cultural disparities in these outcomes need to be addressed through education, provision of clinical services,  and development of community based human resources.

Services

We seek to address these disparities by offering:

1. Community-based Breastfeeding Support Groups
2. Doula Program Scholarships to POC who are Travis County residents

Ways to Contribute

• Referrals- Black mothers who could benefit from breastfeeding support and education
• Space- Rooms within identified communities that will allow us to teach our breastfeeding classes
• Donations- gift cards, new items for mothers, and other creative ways to give to program participants

MMBA’s Doula Training Scholarship

We are excited to offer scholarships for local individuals of color who wish to train as doulas. The goal of this program is to decrease the health disparities that exist in mothers and babies in the African American community here in Austin by increasing certified doulas of color with an emphasis on breastfeeding knowledge.

Payment  for the training course and supporting materials will be paid directly to the education program.  A stipend will also be provided to facilitate success while in the program. Scholarships will be valued at up to $1,500, depending on your individual award.

** APPLICATIONS FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP CLOSE  on 3/31/2021; WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED by April 9, 2021. **

 Doula Scholarship FAQs

Email our Breast Milk Equity and Education Program Manager Kristina Garrison-Clark for more information.

Breastfeeding Advocacy

Normalizing Breastfeeding

We advocate for the acceptance of human milk for all babies, with priority given to mothers’ own milk, eradicating milk access disparities, and modeling best practices for lactation support.