OCO BFFNY Helps Open Public Lactation Space at Oswego County Family Court

OSWEGO — The Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding, and Lactation Friendly New York program (BFFNY), in partnership with the Oswego County Family Court, officially unveiled a new, dedicated public lactation space within the court facility, according to an October 27 release from OCO.

Driven by OCO BFFNY’s mission to expand community lactation access, the program led the initiative and fully outfitted the new room with comfortable furnishings, lactation supplies, and educational breastfeeding resources. The release credited partners across the Oswego County Court system who helped identify the space: Oswego Family Court for coordinating project efforts, Oswego County Court for dedicating the physical area, 5th Judicial District Access to Justice for bringing the teams together, and Oswego County Buildings & Grounds for constructing the partition wall that created the room.

According to OCO, this newly constructed space provided visiting parents, families, and court guests with a clean, private, and comfortable environment to feed infants or express milk during court proceedings and daily operations. Navigating court business can be a stressful time for families, and parents should never have to worry about finding a safe, dignified space to feed their infants. Establishing accessible lactation spaces in high-traffic public facilities like Family Court advances health equity and lowers barriers for parents across our community.

Businesses, public sites, and community venues interested in establishing lactation-friendly environments or achieving official designation can contact the OCO BFFNY team directly at [email protected], or visit www.oco.org/services/health/bffny to learn more.

“This project was supported with funds from the State of New York.”

OCO said 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of Oswego County Opportunities. Each year, over 15,000 people are served through more than 50 programs including assistance for the homeless, educational services, safety for the abused, support for youth, crisis services, transportation for all, reproductive health, health education services, meals and nutritional guidance for the elderly, disabled and youth, and independence and support for the disabled. Oswego County Opportunities, “60 Years of Action. A Lifetime of Impact.”

Photo caption: The Oswego County Family Court, located at 39 Churchill Rd in Oswego, officially achieved designation as a BFFNY Certified Lactation Friendly Public Space. Pictured from left (front row): Stephenie Pease, OCO BFFNY Outreach & Engagement Specialist; Kimberly Zimmer, OCO BFFNY Program Manager; Lori Warfield, Chief Clerk, Oswego County Family Court; Colleen Libbey, Deputy Chief Clerk, Oswego County Family Court; Hon. Allison J. Nelson, Supervising Judge of Family Courts outside Onondaga County, Oswego County Family Court Judge, and Acting Supreme Court Judge; and Hillary A. Warner, Justice Coordinator, 5th Judicial District. Pictured from left (back row): Tom Marino and Matthew Kitts, Oswego County Buildings & Grounds. For information, visit www.oco.org/services/health/bffny or contact the team at [email protected]. This project was supported with funds from the State of New York.