Kendall County Times

WASHINGTON – Yesterday during an Appropriations hearing, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed that FEMA has implemented changes to support breastfeeding families from Representative Lauren Underwood’s (IL-14) Delivering Essentials to Mothers Amid Disasters (DEMAND) Act. 

Underwood’s bipartisan DEMAND Act, introduced in 2022, helps breastfeeding families after disasters by ensuring that breastfeeding equipment is eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program, which provides financial help and services to families in the wake of a disaster.  

“After a disaster families can experience some of the hardest days of their lives,” said Underwood. “I’m pleased to see FEMA implement changes I’ve called for in my DEMAND Act, so that families can more easily access breast pumps and other lactation supplies and support services that they’ve lost during a disaster. FEMA has also taken steps to provide clear guidance and communication on this policy to survivors and its staff, so that families have one less worry as they recover. I look forward to working alongside FEMA as we continue our work to support families during times of emergency.” 

In direct response to Underwood’s DEMAND Act and her advocacy on behalf of breastfeeding moms, FEMA has also updated its correspondence with survivors and provided training for its staff to make sure information about eligible breastfeeding support is easily available to survivors and at disaster recovery centers. 

Full video of Underwood’s remarks can be found here.  

Original source can be found here.