The LATCH Project

Lactation Access Transforming Communities in Hawai'i

To better connect breast/chestfeeding communities with public and private partners, LATCH efforts are jointly led by Breastfeeding Hawaiʻi and Early Childhood Action Strategy.

LATCH works to increase access to breast/ chestfeeding support to address health disparities and strengthen community food sovereignty throughout Hawaiʻi.
LATCH fosters collaboration between insurers, providers, MedQuest, legislators, and nursing parents to address critical gaps in lactation support statewide.
LATCH engages throughout ka Pae ʻĀina o Hawaiʻi to elevate community voice in efforts to secure funded lactation support for families.
LATCH strives to bring together unlikely partners to craft creative solutions to longstanding challenges facing nursing families.

Leadership Team

The LATCH Leadership Team is committed to creating stronger partnerships with the community of lactation support providers in Hawai'i with the goal of increasing access to lactation support throughout the State. With expertise in public health, early childhood development, advocacy, and policy-making, they lead innovative strategies to bridge the gap between families and providers. The LATCH leadership team is committed to ensuring every lactating individual's thriving future, supported by an inclusive network of resources and services.

Under the guidance of the Breastfeeding Hawai'i Board of Directors and fiscal sponsor Early Childhood Action Strategy, LATCH activities are supported by Krista Olson, MC-MCH, IBCLC, CH (Project Coordinator) and Jennifer Elia, DrPH, (Maternal Infant Health Lead). Jackie Ng-Osorio, DrPH, provides LATCH with evaluation support, and LATCH relies on the expertise of a team of partners throughout the islands to guide our work in local communities.

LATCH Leadership Team (pictured from left to right):
Pat Bilyk (Board Treasurer), Jennifer Elia (Maternal Infant Health Lead), Krista Olson (LATCH Project Coordinator) , Kehau Kealoha (Board Member), Jackie Ng-Osorio (Evaluator), Amber Granite (Board President) , Tyra Fonseca-Smith (Board Secretary), and Hālaʻi Smith.

Meet The Breastfeeding Hawaii Board Members

LATCH Staff

Krista Olson | Project Coordinator

Krista Olson, MC-MCH, IBCLC, CH, brings experience in community organizing, clinical lactation, maternal child health, and herbal medicine. She is passionate about the role of traditional foods and medicines, including breastmilk, in restoring community health. For the past two decades, Krista has addressed the critical intersection between food security and health equity in Hawaiʻi, both as founding director of Nest for Families and as Managing Partner at Kealaola Organic Farm & Institute. She has worked for Head Start, WIC, State Health Departments, and health centers in the U.S. and Central America. Krista is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and holds a Master’s Certificate in Maternal Child Health from the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Jennifer Elia | Maternal Infant Health Lead

Jennifer Elia, DrPH, has worked in public health and clinical research for more than a decade, most recently on the faculty of the University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine. Her research has focused on pregnancy intention, contraceptive use, and maternal/child health. Jennifer is passionate about better understanding and ameliorating health disparities among Native Hawaiian and other populations, while partnering to improve healthcare accessibility, effectiveness, and cultural relevance. Raised in rural Puna on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, Jennifer currently lives with her husband and young sons in Honolulu. Jennifer received her BA in the History of Science & Medicine and her MPH in Health Policy & Administration from Yale University, and her DrPH in Community-Based & Translational Research from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

Need Breastfeeding Support?

Learn about our Lactation Fast Pass pilot!

The Fast Pass Pilot aims to demonstrate the significant benefits of well-timed no-cost clinical lactation care for parents experiencing breastfeeding challenges. This demonstration project offers HMSA Medquest participants on neighbor islands a "Fast Pass" for two no-cost lactation visits with a participating IBCLC.

Reserve your spot now—space is limited!

Who is eligible to participate?

Families with HMSA Quest

Resident of Hawaii Island, Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i, or Kaua'i
Experiencing a current Breast/ Chest Feeding difficulty

Eligible Participants Receive:

2 no-cost lactation support visits with participating IBCLC providers in your area.

Visits may be Home visits, in-office, or virtual with participating International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)

View Participating Partners

How to Enroll:

Complete our online inquiry form below, space is limited!

Complete the Form Here

Partnerships

The LATCH Project (Lactation Access Transforming Communities in Hawaiʻi) is funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to elevate community voice and foster collaboration between insurers, providers, MedQuest, and nursing parents as Hawai'i works to address critical gaps in lactation support statewide.

As a part of Community Solutions for Health Equity, LATCH is one of 11 projects supported by Community Catalyst and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation "to make local health systems more responsive and accountable to the needs of the communities they serve."

LATCH works closely with Hawaiʻi partners to elevate the voices of families and providers throughout our island communities.

Breastfeeding Hawaiʻi works to protect, promote and support breastfeeding through the education of and collaboration with professionals involved in maternal-child health, and serve as a community breastfeeding advocate in the State of Hawaii.

Early Childhood Action Strategy (ECAS) brings together government and non-governmental organizations to align priorities for children prenatal to age eight and to strengthen and integrate the early childhood system by streamlining services, maximizing resources and improving programs to support our youngest keiki.