Stage 3: Parents' experiences of children's centres
Achieving Stage 3 of accreditation is the final step in becoming Baby Friendly. At this Stage, the care parents and babies have received will be assessed, with the following standards needing to be met.
Standards
- Support pregnant women to recognise the importance of breastfeeding and early relationships for the health and wellbeing of their baby.
- Protect and support breastfeeding in all areas of the service.
- Support parents to have a close and loving relationship with their baby.
Resources to help you meet the standards
Guidance on implementing the Baby Friendly Initiative standards in children’s centres is now available, along with an action plan template and a sample policy.
More detailed information on how to meet the standards is in our Guide to the Baby Friendly Initiative standards. The following materials will also be helpful in implementing the standards for Stage 3:
- Guidance for implementing the Baby Friendly Initiative standards in children’s centres
- Sample mother consent form – see guidance document for further information
- Breastfeeding assessment form
- Guide on antenatal and postnatal conversations
- Guidance on providing specialist support to breastfeeding mothers
- Working with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes: A Guide for Health Workers
- Infant formula and responsive bottle feeding: a guide for parents
- Department of Health Guide to Bottle Feeding leaflet for parents
- Caring for your baby at night leaflet for parents and accompanying health professional’s guide
- Co-sleeping and SIDS guide for health professionals
- Building a happy baby leaflet for parents
- Breastfeeding and relationships in the early days video
- The importance of relationship building video
- Maximising breastmilk infopage and video
- Stage 3 application form for children’s centres, which you can download from this page.
- See also our courses page.
How we will assess the standards
Once internal audit results indicate that the standards are being achieved, the Stage 3 assessment can take place. This involves Baby Friendly assessors visiting your facility and listening to mothers’ experiences related to the care they have received.