Skip to nav Skip to content
Happy, smiling African American baby in the NICU at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters

The King's Daughters Milk Bank at CHKD

Our milk bank provides the life-saving benefits of human milk to severely premature and critically ill infants nationwide, improving their potential to survive and thrive.

Donate Milk to Save Lives

Contact Us

Phone: (757) 668-6455 (MILK)
Toll-Free: (844) 798-6455

Email: KDMilkBank@CHKD.org

Hours of Operation

Monday through Friday:
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

*Weekend and evening collections are available but dates and times vary. Please contact us for details.

Become a Donor

The King’s Daughters Milk Bank covers 100% of the cost associated with donating milk, including screening, supplies, and shipping—no matter where you're located.

Importance of Human Milk

According to the CDC, preterm birth affects nearly 400,000 babies each year — that’s one of every 10 babies born in the United States. Human milk is the best nutrition for all babies and can be a life-saving treatment for those who are extremely premature or critically ill. It protects against allergies, contains antibodies to fight disease, and provides necessary growth hormones that help babies develop. The risk of premature or sick babies developing devastating and potentially life-threatening intestinal infections is 10 times higher if they are fed formula instead of human milk.

Donor human milk is easily digested and provides optimal nutrition in the absence of mother’s milk. For this reason, CHKD established The King’s Daughters Milk Bank in 2014 with a mission to ensure that human milk is available for our nation's most fragile babies.

National Safety Standards

Operating under the accreditation and evidence-based standards of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), The King’s Daughters Milk Bank is able to ensure the safety of donated milk through careful screening of volunteer donors, laboratory testing, and pasteurization techniques. The pasteurized donor human milk is ready to be dispensed only after a final laboratory test shows no bacterial growth. The milk can then be distributed to babies throughout the nation who need it most.

Get Access to Donor Human Milk

For Hospitals

Please email KDMilkBank@CHKD.org to learn more about obtaining pasteurized donor human milk for your hospitalized, high-risk infants.

Hospital orders received by noon, Monday – Thursday, are processed for next-day delivery. Urgent deliveries may be facilitated on a case-by-case basis.

Bottle sizes include 45 ml, 60 ml, 120 ml, and 240 ml.

All pasteurized donor human milk is barcoded, cultured negative, and analyzed using mid-infrared (mid-IR) transmission spectroscopy for fat, protein, carbohydrates, total solids, and energy.

For Families in Need

Pasteurized donor human milk is prioritized to our nation's most vulnerable, hospitalized infants. If supply exceeds hospital demand, the Milk Bank is able to supply infants in the home setting. The King’s Daughters Milk Bank is passionate about advocacy for insurance coverage, especially for medically fragile infants. Our team continues to work at a state and national level to advance policy that would include coverage for outpatients. Currently, Tricare is the only insurer to cover donor milk for infants with a documented medical necessity. Please email our team at KDMilkBank@CHKD.org if you are interested in learning more about accessing donor milk for your infant.

Take a Tour of the Milk Bank

Legacy Donations Give Life