UNICEF praises Rochdale Council for progress on infant feeding and parenting support

Wednesday, 14 January 2026 17:59

By David Murphy

UNICEF recognises Rochdale Council for its commitment to improving early parenting and infant feeding support across the borough

Rochdale Borough Council has received official recognition from UNICEF.

Rochdale Borough Council has received official recognition from UNICEF for its work supporting parents with infant feeding and early bonding, after completing the first two stages of the Baby Friendly accreditation programme.

The recognition follows a period of close collaboration between the borough’s family hubs and local NHS professionals, with training and support now embedded across services for new and expectant parents. A recent report by UNICEF described Rochdale’s approach as “positive” and noted the borough had “consistently displayed enthusiasm and commitment” to improving support for families.

The Baby Friendly initiative sets evidence-based standards across maternity care, health visiting, community and children’s services. It aims to improve outcomes for babies and families by supporting breastfeeding and encouraging strong early relationships.

More than 160 staff across the council’s family hubs have now completed training, with an education programme in place to ensure professionals have the skills to advise and guide families on feeding and bonding.

Among the key achievements:

Over 54% of mothers in Rochdale now breastfeed from birth, up 16% since 2020
The council has stopped promoting formula milk, bottles, teats or dummies in council buildings or by council staff
A formal commitment has been made to embed UNICEF standards borough-wide

Councillor Rachel Massey, cabinet member for children’s services and education, said:

We are delighted to receive the first two stages of our UNICEF accreditation, as it strongly reflects the huge amount of work and support that our local services already provide to families.

From bump, birth and beyond, we are committed to supporting parents in every step of their journey and that starts with providing the very basics, including information on infant feeding as we help them to give their babies the best health and development from birth.

UNICEF also commended the council’s leadership team for its determination to shift the wider culture around early parenting, praising its plans to embed standards across all public-facing services.

The final stage of accreditation will take place in 12 months, when UNICEF will assess whether the standards are being fully delivered in practice. If successful, Rochdale Borough Council will be eligible to apply for UNICEF’s Gold Award and ‘Achieving Sustainability’ status.