Open a Milk Depot or Milk Express
Learn more about our Milk Depot and Milk Express programs. We’d love to partner with you to save infant lives and improve health outcomes by providing access to safe human milk.
Milk Express
What is a Milk Express?
The Milk Bank’s Milk Express program offers parents a way to access safe human milk as an alternative for supplementation when needed. Milk Express sites are convenient, community-based locations where families can pickup their order of safe donor milk from The Milk Bank.
How does a Milk Express work?
- Outpatient families purchase PDHM securely via The Milk Bank’s website.
- Families provide Milk Express site staff receipt as proof of purchase.
- Milk Express site dispenses PDHM to fulfill order.
- The Milk Bank replenishes PDHM supplies to maintain inventory.
Milk Depot
What is a Milk Depot?
A Milk Depot is a conveniently located collection site for approved milk donors. Local donors can drop off their frozen, excess breast milk during times specified by the site. Donations are shipped to The Milk Bank where they are analyzed, bottled, pasteurized, and tested before being dispensed.
How does a Milk Depot work?
- Approved milk donors arrange drop off and completes a
milk donor form. - Frozen milk is stored in dedicated freezers until ready to
be shipped to The Milk Bank. - Milk depot staff pack milk with dry ice in coolers and boxes
provided by The Milk Bank. - The Milk Bank arranges pre-paid UPS shipping (drop off or pick-up).
How do we become a Milk Depot or Milk Express?
Complete the information form below and a representative will contact you to answer any questions you might have, as well as provide you with a Milk Depot and/or Milk Express Agreement for your review and signature.
Once the Agreement is fully executed, The Milk Bank will have a freezer delivered to your location and we’ll begin planning an official grand opening celebration that will include promotion on The Milk Bank social media and website as well as the dissemination of a press release to local media outlets.
Questions? See our FAQ section here.
Milk Depot and Milk Express Interest Form
Milk Depot and Milk Express FAQs
Milk Depots and Milk Expresses are typically hosted at organizations that support families, such as:
- Hospitals
- Lactation offices
- Health departments
- WIC offices
- Doctor offices
- Public health spaces
The Milk Bank will provide the Depot with a 16-20 cubic foot lockable freezer that must be placed in a secure location.
Milk Depots within the Indianapolis area are asked to contact The Milk Bank to have the milk picked up. For Depots outside of the Indianapolis area The Milk Bank will provide foam coolers in cardboard boxes and pre-paid UPS shipping labels. Each box should contain 5lbs of dry ice. Shipping instructions and suggestions on how to properly pack a box will be provided by The Milk Bank.