Resources

Who We Are 

Northwest Mothers Milk Bank is a nonprofit donor milk bank established in 2008. Our mission is to improve the health and survival of the Pacific Northwest’s most vulnerable infants. We believe that every baby deserves access to human milk. We carry out our mission through the safe collection and distribution of human donor milk, education, advocacy, and research.

In July 2024, Northwest Mothers Milk Bank (NWMMB) [donatemilk.org] assumed the operations of the Mothers Milk Bank of Montana, with a bold goal: to reinvigorate nonprofit milk banking across the state. Established in 2008 as a nonprofit organization, NWMMB’s mission is to improve the health and survival of vulnerable infants. As an accredited member of Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) [hmbana.org], NWMMB is committed to meeting the demand for donor human milk for Montana babies. To date, NWMMB has dispensed over 4.6 million ounces of safely pasteurized donor milk to infants in need.

What We Offer 

NWMMB is raising awareness about the life-saving power of milk donation for fragile infants and building the infrastructure necessary to support safe and accessible donor milk.  In March, NWMMB marked a significant milestone— opening Montana’s first official Milk Drop site at St. Peter’s Health Regional Medical Center in Helena on March 21, 2025. Drop-off locations make it easy for screened mothers to donate milk, enabling them to have a profound impact in their communities.

Donor Process 

The donation process comprises four steps, guided by International Board Certified Lactation Consultants. 

1. Interview: Applicants begin with a phone interview, during which questions are asked about overall health, medication /supplement use, and overall breastfeeding experience. 
2. Complete the online paperwork: The next step is to fill out additional details about your medical history and lifestyle, and then sign the medical consent forms. 
3. Blood work: The final step in the screening process involves completing blood work. Applicants will be screened for HIV, HTLV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. Northwest Mother's Milk Bank will coordinate and cover the costs of the blood work. 
4. Make your donation: Once approved, donors may drop off their frozen milk at a nearby milk drop-off location. If there are no milk drops nearby, Northwest Mother's Milk Bank will send a container to ship milk free of charge. 

Once collected, donated milk is gently pasteurized and dispensed to hospitals across Montana, where it supports babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and family birth centers. Babies who are cared for at home but have ongoing medical needs can access milk through outpatient programs. To learn more about Northwest Mothers Milk Bank in Montana, visit their website at www.donatemilk.org [donatemilk.org].

Montana Milk Drop Locations

 Please call to schedule a drop-off

Contact Information

Interested in more information? Contact Northwest Mother's Milk Bank today. 

• Email Address: info@nwmmb.org
• Phone Number: 800-204-4444

• Genetics Financial Assistance: The genetic testing financial assistance program can be used when your child requires a genetic test that is not covered by your insurance, or if a child is uninsured. The test must be confirmed necessary by a physician, and for Medicaid patients it must be documented that Medicaid and EPSDT both do not cover this request.
• Financial Assistance Program: The Children’s Special Health Services Financial Assistance Program supports families in purchasing treatment and enabling services requested by medical providers. Its policies and status are maintained on its website.

• MonTECH: MonTECH provides technology, support, and services that improve the quality of life for Montanans with disabilities. MonTECH provides assistive technology devices and services, either as a loan or through a community buy-sell network.
• Jadyn Fred Foundation: The Jadyn Fred Foundation provides direct financial support to families with children with special health needs. Families must submit an application, referral from a doctor, nurse, or social worker, and a consent form.
• The Marshall and Mary Brondum Special Assistance Foundation: This organization exists to help individuals whose needs are not or cannot be met by existing charities and/or agencies. These needs include medical, adaptive lifestyle, and financial.
• NORD PKU: For patients with Phenylketonuria (PKU), the NORD PKU assistance program offers support for out-of-pocket health care.

• Circle of Parents: Circle of parents is a support group run by parent leaders to foster an open exchange of ideas, supports, and resources. Circle of Parents meetings are always free and often have childcare available for the meeting time.
• NAMI: The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers support groups for those impacted by severe mental illness and for those affected by a loved one’s mental illness. They offer multiple groups on different topics, and virtual group options as well.
• Montana Hands and Voices: Montana Hands and Voices provides information, support, and referral to families at any point in their journey with their child who is deaf or hard of hearing, but especially for those families starting on this journey.
• Montana Deaf-Blind Project: The Montana Deaf-Blind project serves individuals birth-21 who are impacted by both vision and hearing loss. This project works to build capacity and improve services and increase resources and expertise throughout the state. They follow national initiatives, including early identification and referral, family engagement, assessment and instruction planning, transition, professional development, and national child count.

Respite care is planned or emergency care provided to an individual with need for support and supervision in order to provide temporary relief to the primary caregiver of that individual. The Lifespan Respite Coalition’s mission is to establish a statewide coordinated system of easily accessible, quality, and affordable respite care services for Montana’s family caregivers or individuals regardless of special needs.

Introduction

Finding support in your community is one way to make the move into Montana more positive. Neighbors, friends, coworkers, and faith-based communities all offer opportunities to build your network and support system in your new hometown.

Healthy Montana Families is a state-run home visiting service that serves pregnant women, infants, and children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. It is a voluntary, family-centered program conducted by a trained home visitor, that provides service coordination and improves health. This program services pregnant individuals and parents with a child under the age of 5, who meet at least one criterion, such as disability, developmental delays, low income, being pregnant under the age of 21, history of interaction with child welfare, substance or tobacco use, low student achievement, or current or former armed forces members.

Centers for Independent Living

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) provide services to anyone with a disability in Montana. They are not places to live; instead, they offer information and referral, independent living skills training, peer mentoring, individual and systems advocacy, transitions, accessibility, adaptive equipment, and housing support. These centers vary by community.

Adaptive Recreation

Children with disabilities deserve to access and enjoy the many opportunities for recreation in Montana. Adaptive recreation organizations include:

• DREAM Adaptive Recreation: DREAM Adaptive Recreation provides individuals ages 5 to adults with year-round outdoor adaptive recreation opportunities.
• The Montana Special Olympics: Montana Special Olympics is a state-wide non-profit that provides year-round sports training, athletic competition, and healthy-related programming for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Housing Resources

Housing support in Montana can be found at Resources - Montana Housing (mt.gov). This site offers resources and supports on fair housing, low-income assistance, and services for children and families.

Introduction

Accessing resources is extremely important for families moving to Montana with one or more children who have a special healthcare need.  A child's diagnosis not only impacts that individual, but the family as a whole unit. Listed below are organizations that offer support, resources, and networking connections for parents and family members throughout Montana.

The Family-to-Family Health Information Center

The Family-to-Family Health Information Center is a family-led organization within the University of Montana Rural Institute. The center’s mission is to amplify the strength of children and youth with healthcare challenges by building relationships with providers and programs, connecting families to meaningful support, and providing them with opportunities to learn and share their experiences. Their staff can help you locate local providers, explain state resources, identify community support, and assist families in networking with one another.

We recognize that the services listed here are not a comprehensive list of supports for your family. If you are looking for more support, you can contact the Children’s Special Health Services hotline at (800)-762-9891 or cshs@mt.gov. Our staff will be happy to direct you to further service options.