The National Lactation Consultant Alliance (NLCA) has become aware of the recent trial court opinion in the Georgia case, Jackson v. Raffensperger, Civil Action File No. 2018CV306952, granting summary judgement to Plaintiffs on one of their claims. We await the decision of the Georgia Attorney General’s office regarding appeal.
This ruling places the jobs of countless lactation consultants (which jobs were predicated on licensure) in jeopardy and it threatens the hard-fought access to clinical lactation care for the approximately 50% of Georgia’s breastfeeding families who access clinical care through Medicaid and many who access clinical care through private insurance. While all lactation personnel are valued, needed, and respected, the state license identified those who the state deemed competent and qualified to provide clinical lactation care – setting them apart from educators and peer supporters. Without licensure, neither breastfeeding families nor employers can identify which lactation personnel are trained to provide high acuity care, risking the health and safety of vulnerable families.
NLCA will continue to fight for equity and for access to care for all families.