以下訊息提供有興趣提出申請的媽媽們，是LLLI全球一致的標準。
What is our purpose as LLL Leaders?
Leaders represent La Leche League, so it is
important to know what the organization believes and does.
The general purpose of LLL is to help the
mother learn to breastfeed her baby, to encourage good mothering through
breastfeeding, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding and
related subjects.
LLL is an international, educational,
non-sectarian, non-discriminatory service organization with a strict policy of
not mixing causes. We have that policy in order to offer breastfeeding help to
mothers with a variety of personal beliefs.
Leaders know the importance of one mother
helping another to recognize and understand the needs of her child and to find
the best means of fulfilling those needs. Leaders provide information and
support so that each mother can make the decisions which are best for her
family.
What does an LLL Leader do?
These are the basic responsibilities of a
La Leche League Leader:
·
Leads
Series Meetings
·
Manages
an LLL Group
·
Keeps
up-to-date with breastfeeding information
·
Helps
mothers over the phone
·
Answers
mothers’ questions by post or email
·
Works
with Leader Applicants and mothers thinking about LLL leadership
·
Communicates
regularly with the organization
Leaders can choose the work which suits
them best! Teamwork, identifying priorities and being realistic will help you
to enjoy being an LLL Leader.
Definition of an active Leader
An active Leader pursues the La Leche
League mission through basic Leader responsibilities as defined in the Policies
and Standing Rules Notebook and/or other service to LLL. An active
Leader’s fees are current, she keeps up to date with Leader education, and she
communicates regularly with the organization.
(LLLI Policies and Standing Rules
Notebook, Oct 91, Mar 01)
Leader responsibilities are shared when
there is more than one Leader in a Group. Many Leaders find it beneficial to
concentrate on the basic responsibilities for a period of time before
considering expanding or changing their service to LLL. Leaders often find
other or additional ways to serve the organisation as an active Leader. Here
are some possibilities:
·
Offer
prenatal breastfeeding classes
·
Raise
funds for the Group
·
Talk
to school children studying child development
·
Meet
with teenage mothers
·
Attend
meetings for breastfeeding support organizations and health professionals to
plan joint programs and events
·
Write
articles for LLL publications
·
Help
plan and organize LLL workshops, study days and conferences
·
Lead
a session at a workshop or Leader Day
·
Do
research or administrative work for LLL
·
Work
on translation of LLL resources
Most of an LLL Leader’s work is voluntary;
you can claim expenses from your Group. If you give a talk or offer
breastfeeding classes, or do work for LLL in which you have special expertise,
such as translations or legal work, you may be able to receive payment and
still be covered by LLLI liability insurance. “Do LLL Leaders have
liability insurance?”
Are there benefits to being a Leader,
besides satisfaction in knowing that you're helping women with something this
important?
As this question suggests, there is the
deep satisfaction gained from knowing that you are helping mothers and babies
experience the benefits and the joy of breastfeeding.
Many Leaders would add that there are huge
benefits in terms of:
·
friendship
with other Leaders and their families;
·
access
to LLLI as well as Area resources which are available to Leaders, such as
Leaven and Area Leaders' letter, the Leader pages of the LLLI Web site, online
Leader chats, and the Community Network, which is an online resource for
Leaders only;
·
Leader
discounts on LLL publications;
·
attending
LLL workshops and conferences as a Leader (usually at reduced prices for
Leaders);
·
developing
skills and interests at the national or international level;
·
the
continued opportunity to learn about breastfeeding and parenting with others
who share LLL philosophy;
·
the
positive effect of learning on family life;
·
developing
transferable skills that can be of immeasurable use within the family or when
applied to other work.
How can I fit LLL leadership into my life?
It is a balancing act! Just as you wondered
how you would cope with a baby, and then perhaps a second baby and toddler, you
discover how to juggle many different things in your life. If LLL is important
to you, it can become one of those balls in the air.
You may already be sharing in the work of
your local Group. Perhaps you have a Group job, such as Librarian or Treasurer.
Maybe you have hosted meetings or provided refreshments. Your involvement will
help to give you an insight into this aspect of leadership responsibilities.
There are many aspects of LLL work:
planning meetings, answering queries, getting together with your co-Leaders to
plan for and make decisions related to your LLL Group, attending workshops and
conferences, etc. We hope you will find that these activities enrich your life,
providing a wonderful network of friends and support for your breastfeeding and
parenting choices, both now and as your children grow older.
What does leadership preparation involve?
·
Corresponding
with a member of the Leader Accreditation Department (LAD). She is called a
Coordinator of Leader Accreditation (CLA) or Associate Coordinator of Leader
Accreditation (ACLA).
o You and the A/CLA will be corresponding
about the different aspects of the application.
o Your A/CLA may ask you to explore some
areas of work more fully. She may share extra reading material with you to
enlarge your understanding of some aspects of the application. She wants to
work with you as flexibly as possible, taking account of your preferred learning
style. Each leadership application is unique.
·
Work
with your supporting Leader in the Group, who recommends you and helps you
through your application. Together you will discuss aspects of LLL leadership
and practice how to help mothers who will contact you for information and
support. You will learn about breastfeeding management and using LLL resources.
·
Complete
required background reading (the A/CLA will explain this in more detail if you
apply).
I don’t have an LLL Group near me. Can I
still apply?
It is possible to work through the
application with only the support of a Leader Accreditation Department (LAD)
representative. Please read our isolated
members section for more information on what to do without a local Group. However,
if at all possible we recommend you contact a local LLL Group and Leader in
order to discuss your situation with her.
·
If
your nearest Group is too far away for you to attend meetings regularly,
perhaps you can arrange to borrow books from its Group Library, or attend a few
meetings so that you become familiar with how LLL meetings are organized.
·
If
there is no Group where you are, you can contact the LAD on the LLLI Web site,
or by postal mail. A Director will refer you to a LAD representative who can
help you. Contact
information is
at the end of these FAQs.
My LLL Group already has three Leaders.
Does that mean there is no need for another Leader?
Some Groups find that having another
co-Leader is a help when Leaders have another baby or move to a new house,
which can make it difficult for them to do everything they would like to do.
Other Groups find they can maximize their
impact by holding meetings in different locations, especially if they live in a
big city or cover a large rural area.
A Group can split and become two separate
Groups in order to reach more mothers.
Having several Leaders can sometimes offer
more opportunities for reaching mothers in the wider community. In other words,
they can then go beyond the basic responsibilities of a Leader. For instance:
·
Some
Groups with several Leaders decide to offer evening as well as daytime Series
Meetings;
·
Other
meetings, such as Toddler Meetings, are sometimes more viable when there is
more than one Leader to run them.
·
The
Leaders can take it in turns to attend meetings with health care professionals
or share responsibility for running prenatal breastfeeding classes at the local
hospital.
Each Group of co-Leaders can work out what
will suit everyone best and meet the needs of the local community.
How long does the application take?
The average length of an application is
about a year– some more, some less. Some applications have been completed in a
few months.
It is not a race – we want you to go at
your own pace. We are also there to help you keep up the momentum and enable
you to reach your goal of LLL leadership.
Each mother’s situation is unique – you may
have a very active toddler – or maybe twins! Or you may be expecting another
baby. Or there may be other events, such as a house move or illness, that can
prolong the application period.
Communicating with your A/CLA is key to
progressing at a pace that suits you. She will be happy to discuss it if you
need more time to respond.
Are there any requirements I must meet before
I can apply?
·
LLL
Leaders represent the organisation, La Leche League. Central to LLL is its
philosophy and Leaders demonstrate LLL philosophy in action.
·
Talking
with you about your breastfeeding and mothering experience, your supporting
Leader will help you explore the extent to which your experience and ideas are
a ‘good match’ with LLL philosophy. There may be areas where you disagree or
have questions. It is important to discuss these with your supporting Leader
beforehand so that together you can work out whether you meet the ‘LLLI
Prerequisites to Applying for LLL Leadership’ (given below) to represent La
Leche League.
·
If
you do not meet the prerequisites, there are other ways you can help
breastfeeding mothers and stay involved in LLL (see other FAQs).
LLLI Prerequisites to Applying for LLL
Leadership
1. Personal Breastfeeding Experience
o Mother has
breastfed her baby for at least nine months when she applies for leadership.
o Her baby was
nourished with mother’s milk until there was a nutritional need for other foods
(i.e. about the middle of the first year for a healthy, full-term baby).
o If her baby has
weaned, he or she was nursed for about a year and the transition from
breastfeeding respected the baby’s needs.
Note:
Special consideration may be given to a woman whose personal breastfeeding
experience is outside the realm of a normal course of breastfeeding.
2. Mothering Experience
o Mother values
nursing at the breast as the optimal way to nourish, nurture and comfort her
baby.
o She recognizes,
understands and responds to her baby’s need for her presence as well as for her
milk.
o She manages any
separation from her baby with sensitivity and respect for the baby’s needs.
3. Organizational Experience
o Is a current
member of LLL.
o Supports LLL
purpose and philosophy.
o Has attended at
least one series of meetings (where available) and has demonstrated a
commitment to LLL.
o Owns and is
familiar with the contents of the most recent edition of The Womanly
Art of Breastfeeding, if available in her language, as a primary resource
for LLL Leaders.
o Has a
recommendation from an LLL Leader.
4. Personal Traits
o Has sufficient
command of language to complete the application and preparation for
accreditation and to fulfil the responsibilities of LLL leadership.
o Has an accepting
and respectful attitude toward others.
o Exhibits warmth
and empathy towards others.
o Demonstrates or
is willing to develop effective communication skills.
Every mother in LLL brings her unique
experience, her warmth and empathy and other skills to her LLL work, whether
she has had one baby or several.
There may be one or more areas where you
feel you do not meet the prerequisites to applying for leadership. You are not
alone! Many Leaders have had similar concerns. The important thing is to talk
over your situation with your Group Leader. If it turns out that you are unable
to proceed with an application at this time, you might consider some of the
options in “I don’t think LLL
leadership is for me, but I still want to help breastfeeding mothers.”
Is there a cost involved?
In order to apply for leadership, a mother
must have paid the LLL membership fee. She would then need to pay the
application fee and the cost of the Leader's Handbook. LLL
membership and application fees vary according to where a mother lives. A
requirement of the application is to own and be familiar with the current
edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, which is central to La
Leche League and answers many of the questions often asked by mothers about
breastfeeding. At the end of an application there is an accreditation fee,
which covers the administrative costs involved with accreditation. So to
summarize:
·
Membership
fee
·
Application
fee
·
Leader's Handbook
·
Current
edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
·
Accreditation
fee
Once a Leader is accredited, she no longer
pays a membership fee; instead she pays annual Leader dues, which include an
LLL membership and pay her liability insurance with LLLI, and, depending on her
location, may include subscriptions toNew Beginnings and Leaven (our
Leader publication).
What will I do during the application?
·
Discuss
with the A/CLA your personal experience of breastfeeding and mothering.
·
Explore
your understanding of and experience with LLL philosophy through ongoing
dialogue with the A/CLA.
·
Learn
how to support the normal course of breastfeeding and help mothers cope with
common concerns.
·
Learn
how to access relevant resources to support mothers facing specific
breastfeeding challenges.
·
Read
a range of books and other publications about breastfeeding and mothering.
·
Practise
active listening and counselling skills with your sponsoring Leader.
·
Learn
about La Leche League as an organisation at local, national and international
levels.
·
Learn
about leading LLL Series Meetings and about fulfilling other Leader
responsibilities.
·
If
possible, attend LLL workshops (including those run by LLL Communication Skills
Facilitators) and Leader/study days which are open to Leaders, Leader
Applicants and mothers interested in becoming LLL Leaders.
The application aims to prepare you to meet
the LLLI Criteria for Leader Accreditation. For more information, read on,
especially read Steps to
accreditation.
Is there a class or test to become an LLL
Leader, or is it just doing the required reading?
There is no test involved in becoming a La
Leche League Leader. The Leader Applicant, her supporting Leader and the Leader
Accreditation Department representative work together until all feel confident
that the Applicant has met the LLLI Criteria for Accreditation and is well
prepared for leadership.
Leader accreditation – what is it?
·
She
has nursed her baby for about a year.
·
She
has conveyed her knowledge of basic breastfeeding management, outlined in
Breastfeeding Management Skills Criteria in the Policies and Standing
Rules Notebook (PSR): Appendix
18 "Applying for Leadership".
·
She
has completed the LLL Leader accreditation process.
·
She
has signed the LLL Leader Statement of Commitment. (Ask your supporting Leader
to show you a copy of this if you wish.)
·
She
has paid her Leader accreditation fee.
Do LLL Leaders have liability insurance?
La Leche League carries general liability
and professional services insurance for all volunteer Leaders. A Leader must
pay her Leader dues in order to be covered by this insurance.
I am interested, but do not think the time
is right for me.
There is a great deal you can do to support
your local Group. Perhaps you could take on a Group job, such as Librarian or
Treasurer, or offer to help with publicity or fund-raising. Your Group Leader
may be able to suggest ways in which your support would be especially helpful.
Ask your Group Leader about Evaluation Meetings.
Taking part in these meetings is an excellent way to stay involved in your
Group and gain an insight into the role of an LLL Leader.
You can attend workshops which are open to
interested mothers as well as Leaders and Applicants.
Read as many books and LLL publications as
you can about breastfeeding and parenting. Ask your Group Leader to recommend
publications, which may be available from your Group Library or ordered from
the online LLL bookstore. This can be very worthwhile preparation before
applying for LLL leadership at a later time.
I don’t think I meet the prerequisites to
applying for leadership.
Talk to your Group Leader. She will be
happy to discuss any questions you might have.
Might there come a time when you would meet
the LLLI Prerequisites to Applying for Leadership? Perhaps you could delay
making your application until a later date.
LLL recognises that women in your position
have a great deal to offer other breastfeeding women. The success of an LLL
Group is based on mother-to-mother support. We hope you will stay involved in
your local LLL Group and know that we value the contribution you make.
I don’t think LLL leadership is for me, but
I still want to help breastfeeding mothers.
You can still be a tremendous support by
being active in your LLL Group perhaps by:
·
Taking
on a Group job, such as Librarian or Treasurer.
·
Attending
LLL Series Meetings and offering your experience are of enormous help to a new
mother.
·
Offering
to host a Series Meeting or other meetings.
·
Helping
to publicizing your Group, distributing meeting notices to clinics and
surgeries.
·
Helping
to raise funds for your Group could help provide more leaflets, information
sheets and books for your Group Library.
Perhaps you are interested in becoming a
paid lactation consultant (setting up a private practice, or being employed by
a hospital, a physician, or other health care provider). Many of these
consultants are International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC).
They are certified through the International Board of Lactation Consultant
Examiners (IBLCE). For information about the IBCLC program, read LLLI's FAQ "What are some pathways
to becoming a Board Certified Lactation Consultant - IBCLC?" or the The International Board of Lactation
Consultant Examiners Web site.
You may find that you are drawn to
breastfeeding counseling, but LLL leadership is not the way to reach your goal.
LLL recognizes and values your desire to help breastfeeding women. Training
with another breastfeeding support organization might best enable you to become
a breastfeeding counselor. Many breastfeeding counselors affiliated with other
organizations remain members of their local LLL Group and work cooperatively
with LLL Leaders at both a local and national level.
I think I want to apply, but I have some
more questions.
It is important that you talk to your Group
Leader before making an application. Look through the Pre-Application
Guidelines with her and find out more about Pre-Application Dialogue.
You might want to write down your questions
while they are fresh in your mind and contact your Group Leader in order to
arrange a meeting.
I think leadership is right for me. What is
my next step?
THANK YOU for taking the time to read this
information about LLL leadership. We hope that you now feel positive about your
choice, whether or not LLL leadership is the right direction for you just now.
祝福
旭珍
