Nova Scotia Liberals are urging the Houston government to save an infant feeding clinic in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The Halifax Primary Care Clinic announced that its publicly funded program for new parents and infants will cease operations after January 1st.

According to a release, this will leave families without access to free skilled lactation support.

Status of Women Critic Iain Rankin says in a statement, “This clinic has been a lifeline for new parents. The first few weeks after birth are some of the most challenging for families, and this service provides expert care that helps both parents and newborns thrive. The government should be strengthening this kind of community support, not taking it away.”

He says that for the last 16 months the service has been a trusted source of help for new parents facing feeding challenges.

Rankin adds, “Without continued public funding, parents will be left to turn to already stretched public health nurses or pay out of pocket for private care — the only available option for complex feeding needs in the Central Zone.”

He says the province needs to step up and keep this drop-in clinic open for all the families who rely on it.