Johnson County Department of Health and Environment becomes an official milk donation site

The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment is now an official human milk donation drop-off site in partnership with the Oklahoma Mothers' Milk Bank and the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition. The new location expands access to lifesaving donor milk for premature and medically fragile infants in our community and region.

JCDHE was invited to participate after existing Johnson County drop-off sites began reaching freezer capacity before their monthly pickups. Donations are accepted at the Olathe Health Services Building (11875 S. Sunset Dr., Olathe, KS) Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., helping ensure donor milk continues to be collected safely and efficiently as community support for milk donation grows.

Each month, representatives from the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition collect donations from approved sites across the state and transport them to Wichita, where the Oklahoma Mothers' Milk Bank gathers the milk for screening, pasteurization and safety testing. After processing, the milk is distributed back to hospitals in our region, ensuring donations made locally help babies and families close to home.

"Adding this donation site reflects our community's commitment to supporting infant health," said Charlie Hunt, Director of JCDHE. "Every baby deserves a healthy start, and this effort helps expand access to critical nutrition for infants facing medical challenges."

Individuals interested in becoming milk donors must complete a screening process through the Oklahoma Mothers' Milk Bank before donating. For more information about donor eligibility and the milk donation process, visit okmilkbank.org.