The City of Jena Receives the “Breastfeeding-Friendly Community in Thuringia” Certification

During a ceremonial presentation, Health Minister Katharina Schenk presented the city of Jena with the “Breastfeeding-Friendly Community” certificate. Jena is now the second municipality to successfully complete the certification process and is authorized to use the official “Breastfeeding-Friendly Community of Thuringia” label in its external communications and public relations efforts.

Gruppenbild Stillfreundliche Kommune

Health Minister Katharina Schenk explains: “Breastfeeding should be possible wherever families go about their daily lives—as a matter of course, without feeling the need to justify it and without mothers having to overcome special hurdles. Municipalities can make a very concrete contribution to this: by providing suitable breastfeeding areas, well-informed staff, and reliable support services. The fact that Jena has taken this step and met the criteria for the label sends an important signal for greater family-friendliness and a health-promoting environment. I am very pleased to be able to honor Jena today as a ‘Breastfeeding-Friendly Municipality.’”

Jena already has a broad network of services for pregnant women, parents, and young families. These include early intervention programs as well as numerous publicly accessible breastfeeding and diaper-changing stations throughout the city. The “Babymap Jena” (https://familie-jugend-soziales.jena.de/system/files/2026-02/Babymap 01 2026_0.pdf) brings these services together and shows at a glance where families are especially welcome and can find suitable places to breastfeed and change diapers. This service is complemented by counseling and support services offered by various institutions and professionals.

Johannes Schleussner, Jena’s Commissioner for Education, Youth, Culture, and Sports, is delighted with the award: “Family-friendliness must be tangible in everyday life. Through our early intervention programs, we support families from the very beginning and, together with many partners, ensure that support reaches those who need it. This also means that parents and their children are welcome in public spaces. The many breastfeeding and diaper-changing stations in Jena are a very practical and immediately effective example of this.”

Kathleen Lützkendorf, Director of Social Affairs, Health, Immigration, and Climate for the City of Jena, adds: “Breastfeeding mothers need one thing above all else: good conditions and the freedom to decide for themselves when and where they want to breastfeed their child. Jena already has an extensive network of breastfeeding stations as well as counseling and support services. The certification validates this approach and, at the same time, motivates us to further embed family-friendliness as a matter of course in public life.”

The establishment of additional breastfeeding and diaper-changing stations in Jena is strongly encouraged. Parents and anyone interested can find more information on the website https://familie-jugend-soziales.jena.de/de/stillfreundliche-kommune.

Still- und Wickelraum

Background

The “Breastfeeding-Friendly Municipality of Thuringia” certification was developed in 2024 through a collaboration between the Thuringian Ministry of Health and the Thuringian State Health Conference to strengthen breastfeeding promotion as part of municipal health promotion. To receive this label, seven established criteria must be met. Among other things, public breastfeeding areas as well as appropriate information and support services for (expectant) mothers and families must be provided. By the end of 2024, the label had already been awarded to the state capital, Erfurt.

For Jena, the certification fulfills the city’s voluntary commitment under the Healthy Cities Network, of which the city has been a member since 2024. At the same time, it is a building block of Jena’s prevention chain, which begins with early intervention and a healthy start in life.
Interested local officials can find all documents, contact information for representatives, and further details on the certification process for “Breastfeeding-Friendly Community” on the website of the Thuringia State Health Conference:
https://lgk-thueringen.de/stillfreundliche-kommune-thueringen

Zertifikat Stillfreundliche Kommune