You will have access to the detailed Baby Café Handbook, support services and benefits of being part of a national organisation.

Increasingly, mothers are attracted to a Baby Café centre, with its established care model and high standards; likewise, funding bodies may prefer to invest in a community development model that has proven effective whatever the community profile, where ongoing support services are available through the network and in the knowledge that high standards of care are being maintained.

Liz Ginty at the Baby Café in Storkway says, ‘We were running a breastfeeding drop-in for a year without much joy until we re-branded as The Baby Café and we haven’t looked back since.’

By adopting the Baby Café model this drop-in was able to:

• Attract more funding and work time commitment to run and promote the group.
• Employ a breastfeeding peer supporter each week (funded by local Trust).
• Involve other local health professionals as part of a steering group.
• Establish a six week training course, for six local mums who were all keen on supporting other mums.
• Increase attendance by mothers, which means more mums and babies have received help and support with breastfeeding.

 Find out more about setting up a Baby Café