National BFI Quality Improvement Collaborative Project
Thanks to a generous grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada led a National Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI) Quality Improvement Collaborative Project from 2018-2023. This study demonstrated how hospitals across Canada can successfully implement Baby-Friendly practices, providing evidence and insights to guide national scale-up efforts.
Following the project, three key pilot initiatives were launched to support BFI implementation:
- Recognition Program – a quality-improvement based phased approach helping facilities progress toward full BFI designation.
- BFI Mentors – expert guidance and support for each participating facility.
- External Assessment – streamlined online tools to simplify assessment.
These pilots informed the creation of essential BFI supports, including the Quality Improvement Workshop and national BFI Roundtables, fostering collaboration and capacity-building. Together, the published project and these subsequent pilots laid the foundation for BFI as it is implemented today, helping improve uptake and support for Canadian families.
Community Baby-Friendly Initiative Collaborative (CBFI-C)
We are excited to announce that the BCC and the University of Manitoba have received CIHR funding to support Community Health Services (CHS) across Canada in working towards Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI) designation.
This 2-year project named the Community Baby-Friendly Initiative Collaborative (CBFI-C), aims to promote maternal and infant health by increasing breastfeeding rates in Canada and evaluate the effectiveness of a Quality Improvement Collaborative in helping CHS meet BFI targets.
CBFI-C applications are now closed – we sincerely thank all facilities who applied!
We are also pleased to share that the CBFI-C study protocol has been published in BMJ Open, marking an important milestone for this national initiative. Read the full study protocol here.
Thank you to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for funding this Quality Improvement Collaborative
