Historical Background

Philadelphia historically has had low lactation initiation rates, particularly among Black parents. According to a 2021 report from the Philadelphia Department of Health, only 80% of Black parents in Philadelphia initiate lactation compared to 87% of White parents. By 8 weeks, only 59% of Black parents are breastfeeding compared to 75% of White parents. Barriers to lactation among Black parents often include barriers to prenatal care, lack of provider and peer support, and lack of anticipatory guidance. The neighborhoods in Philadelphia with the lowest lactation initiation rates are also the neighborhoods where clients, who primarily are Black, of Philadelphia Nurse-Family Partnership (PNFP) are most likely to live.

In 2015, PNFP used a National Association of County and City Health Officials Grant to develop interventions to address these low lactation initiation rates. Peer lactation counselors were trained to facilitate lactation support groups and provide telephone and in-person counseling to pregnant and lactating parents. Furthermore, approximately half of nurse home visitors were trained for the International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) exam, and 11 nurse home visitors passed this exam. These IBCLCs formed a committee called LATCH to continue sustaining and developing lactation-supporting initiatives in communities PNFP serves. LATCH’s efforts have contributed to the breastfeeding initiation rate of 95% as of Fiscal Year 2023 among PNFP clients. LATCH continues to support nurses in achieving more advanced levels of lactation education, offering one-on-one lactation support for clients, addressing systemic barriers to lactation support in the community, and holding in-person lactation support groups. 

Mission & Goals

The LATCH committee’s mission is to encourage, empower, and support clients during the initiation and duration of breastfeeding/chestfeeding by providing them with expert counseling, materials, and resources. We also strive to offer nurse home visitors current breastfeeding/chestfeeding information so they can use evidence-based practice to support their clients. Our vision is to improve breastfeeding/chestfeeding initiation and duration rates for our clients and provide the latest lactation resources for nurses.

Current Projects

For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the LATCH Cafe Instagram account here: @latchcafephilly