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IBCLC Day 2026

(Above) NFP Nurse Home Visitor Becca Lipstein with her clients.

Today, March 4, is International IBCLC Day! International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Day celebrates the expertise, dedication, and advocacy that these lactation consultants bring to the larger community, and for NNCC specifically to our Home Visiting clients and the LATCH Cafe. The IBCLCs on our staff bring a wealth of knowledge on birthing, lactation, and postpartum care to every person they work with.

To celebrate this special day, we asked some of the IBCLCs on our staff two simple questions: what drew you to becoming an IBCLC, and what is your favorite part of your expertise. Take a look at some of their answers below:

 

What drew you to becoming an IBCLC?

I was drawn to become an IBCLC because I saw how impactful skilled lactation support can be, and I wanted to deepen my knowledge. I’m lucky to have gotten to observe many of my IBCLC colleagues before taking the plunge! - Becca Lipstein

I was drawn to being an IBCLC as I love supporting the connecting between parent and child. I love that nursing a baby is a unique experience to the dyad and that it is both an art and a science. I knew there would be endless learning and growing involved, and I have not been disappointed!
Katy Baker-Cohen

Becoming a parent brings countless new experiences, questions, and challenges. While so much can be supported by family, friends, and community, breastfeeding felt to me like one of those things no parent should have to navigate alone. Watching parents find connection and encouragement in feeding support groups deeply inspired me to become an IBCLC. - Colleen Elwood.

 

What is your favorite part of this expertise?

I became an IBCLC because I love being able to walk alongside people during such a meaningful time. Teaching a person about their body and all the incredible things it can do, and supporting them through an experience that can be both beautiful and challenging, is truly my favorite part of the work.
Erin Graham

My favorite part of this expertise is empowering families with both confidence and practical tools and witnessing the transformation that happens when feeding challenges become manageable. - Becca Lipstein

My favorite moments are when I see a parent begin to trust themselves — to believe in their ability to nourish their baby, or to feel confident in a feeding plan that truly works for their family. Being able to witness and support that sense of empowerment and self-trust is something I’m incredibly grateful for.
Colleen Elwood

I love supporting a new parent to make the transformation from being overwhelmed and sometimes even in pain, when learning to nurse, to feeling empowered and excited to feed their baby in a way that feels good to them! The soft coos of a baby nursing are also heaven! - Katy Baker-Cohen

 

Learn More About our Lactation Support Group

LATCH Cafe is our lactation/baby feeding support group open to anyone in the community. The mission is to encourage, empower, and support pregnant and postpartum people during the initiation and duration of breastfeeding/chestfeeding by providing them with expert counseling, materials, and resources.
LEARN MORE

 

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National Nurses Week 2025

This past week, May 6-12, was Nurses Week 2025! NNCC is proud to advance nurse-led care healthcare and work with countless nurses through our home visiting programs.

This week, we celebrated all of our nurses, and we want to celebrate with you too by sharing the perspectives of the most important people our nurses work with - their clients. Take some time and read what they're saying below!

 

My nurse is fantastic...

My nurse is fantastic. She is compassionate, intelligent, motivated, and genuine. She listens, offers guidance, and is very supportive.
Photo: Nurse Missy

 

I found the program extremely helpful...

Considering this is my first child, I found the program extremely helpful in my transition into motherhood and learning how my baby grows and hits her milestones!
Photo: Nurse Ruth

 

It's clear how much she enjoys our time...

My nurse is extremely kind and caring, observant, and knowledgeable. She is professional but warm and it's clear how much she enjoys our time and what  she does. I look forward to meeting with her every appointment!
Photo: Nurse Joselle

 

She communicates and is committed...

She communicates and is committed to helping my family thrive. She always takes my other children into consideration and shares resources that she feels would be helpful!
Photo: Nurse Q

 

She's one of the nicest people I know...

She's one of the nicest people I know and has helped me so much throughout my pregnancy and now during my postpartum she's been giving me so much support and I am very grateful.
Photo: Nurse Bessie

 

 

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National Home Visiting Week 2026

This week, April 20-24, is National Home Visiting Week 2026! NNCC is home to three Home Visiting Programs, all focused on providing parents with support during the first few years of their child's growth and development.

This week, we are celebrating all of our Home Visitors by sharing feedback from the most important people in their practice - their clients. Take some time to see what our clients are saying about their Home Visitors below:

 

My Home Visitor is very caring and genuine... 

My home visitor is very caring and genuine. I can tell that she really cares about my children's growth, my mental well-being, and my children's father's mental well-being. I really trust my home visitor. I really trust that she does not pass judgment on me and I could go to her about anything.
Photo: Vanessa Smith-Doughty and Qadriyyah Thompson

 

My Home Visitor creates a warm, supportive space... 

One of the things I appreciate most about our Home Visitor  is how she takes her time reading with my son. It means a lot to me that she doesn't rush, and instead creates a warm, supportive space where he can learn at his own pace. Her care and dedication truly makes a difference in his development and in our home.
Photo: Michelle Crammer

 

My Home Visitor is very understanding...

My home visitor is very understanding and not judgmental at all; she's created a safe place for my children and me. And when I need help, I reach out, and if she has resources that can help me, she'll always send them. If she doesn’t, she always has words of affirmation to help me stay on track.
Photo: Doris Frasca

 

My Home Visitor helps advocate for my child...

My home visitor is awesome. She is easy to talk to and a great problem solver. She's intrigued by my child’s progress every time we talk. She gets him what he needs and helps advocate for him, along with me. She's open to learning from me and speaks highly of me. She's truly a blessing.
Photo: Anna Laytham

 

Mi Visitador Domiciliario es un gran apoyo para mí y para mi bebé...

Me gusta que ella es muy amable y me comprende; ella es un buen apoyo para mí y mi bebé.
Foto: Luz Moreno

 

My Home Visitor knows how to have a very good conversation...

I love my Home Visitor. She’s very sweet and caring, and she listens! She knows how to have a very good conversation & she really cares for me and my son!
Photo: Philly-MontCo Family Center team

 

 

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National Nurses Week 2026

This week, May 6-12, is National Nurses Week 2026! NNCC is proud to be a nurse-led organization, and nurse-led care exists at the intersection of all the work that we do. It is our mission to advance nurse-led healthcare through policy, consultation, and programs to reduce health disparities and meet people’s primary care and wellness needs. Our Nurse Home Visiting programs work directly with the community, providing collaborative and compassionate care.

There is no better way to celebrate nurses than to hear from the people they impact the most -  their clients. Take some time to read what our clients have to say about the Nurse Home Visitors they work with.

 

It takes a village... 

It takes a village, and they're a part of my village in nurturing and guiding my children to become great, resilient individuals one day.
Photo: Mabel Morris Team

 

My Nurse Home Visitor has helped me in ways I never would've predicted... 

She is very knowledgeable, reassuring, and resourceful, and has helped me in ways I never would've predicted, whether that be with baby items, health care or transportation.
Photo: NFP Nurse Home Visitor Missy Naser

 

My Nurse Home Visitor loves my kids as if they were her own...

My nurse loves my kids as if they were her own. She shows genuine concern and compassion for them. She's been extremely helpful, especially during my pregnancy when I was experiencing severe depression. She listens to me and reserves space for my feelings.
Photo: NFP Nurse Home Visitor Becca Lipstein

 

My Nurse Home Visitor reassures me in times of need...

My Nurse Home Visitor is very helpful and reassures me in times of need. She makes sure I don't forget to take care of myself. Even with having concerns about my child, she helps me keep the anxiety down by answering my questions and concerns. I have the best nurse, and I greatly appreciate her!
Photo: MM Nurse Home Visitors Caroline McKeown and Anna Koopman

 

My Nurse Home Visitor is very understanding...

My nurse is very understanding, and she is very easy for me to come and talk to about anything without being judged. I love my nurse.
Foto: NFP Nurse Home Visitors

 

My Nurse Home Visitor is kind, easy to talk to, and so so supportive...

I can't even find the right words to explain how much my Nurse Home Visitor’s support means for my baby and me. I'm looking forward to her visit every two weeks. She's kind, easy to talk to, so so supportive, gets back to me with any questions I have, and tries to help with anything I ask for.  My baby loves having her too. Her visits have made this all so much easier to deal with. I feel very lucky to have gotten her as our nurse.
Photo: NFP Nurse Home Visitor Ruth Soto

 

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Urgent Testimony Spotlights Solutions For The Black Maternal Health Crisis

 Shukriyyah Mitchell Hinton, Senior Director of Outreach and Advocacy here at NNCC, has been a public health nurse for 14 years. Throughout her nursing career, she has been an advocate for improved outcomes related to Black maternal mortality and morbidity. She is a founding member of the Maternal Wellness Village and sits on the Maternal Mortality Review Committee for the City of Philadelphia.

Shukriyyah wrote a testimony for the Committee of Public Health and Human Services for a resolution to look at solutions related to Black maternal mortality and morbidity. This week, April 11-17, is Black Maternal Health Week. This week seeks to address the causes of Black mortality and morbidity and amplify wellness for Black birthing people. Please spend some time reading through Shukriyyah's testimony, and subsequent recommendations on how to positively impact outcomes for birthing people.

Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad and colleagues,

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on behalf of Black birthing people in the city of Philadelphia and throughout the United States. My name is Shukriyyah Mitchell Hinton, BSN, RN. I am a Public Health Nurse and Senior Director of Outreach and Advocacy with the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC). In my role, I serve as a Nursing Supervisor for the Philadelphia Nurse-Family Partnership (Phila. NFP). Phila. NFP is a home visiting program of NNCC where specially trained Public Health Nurses support first-time birthing people and their families from pregnancy until their child turns two.

Having been with Phila. NFP for nearly 14 years, I have had the honor of supporting hundreds of first-time birthing people and their families. Intersecting with my identity as a Public Health Nurse is my identity as a Black mother of three children. Together, these identities have shaped my experiences and drawn me to the important work of advocating for Black birthing people. In 2009, I was a 27-year-old nursing student at the University of Pennsylvania who also happened to be pregnant with my first child. During my third trimester, I was diagnosed with preeclampsia. It was during this time that I learned of the startling statistics surrounding Black birthing people and their infants. I learned that my socio-economic status or my many years of education could not save me from the distressing maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the United States. I was terrified when I was induced at 37 weeks gestation. I remember feeling completely helpless and feeling like my life and the life of my unborn child was in someone else's hands. I was even more terrified when I was readmitted five days postpartum for an infection. I didn't have the knowledge that I have now, but I had the know-how to advocate for myself and seek answers to all the questions I had. This is not the case for all birthing people.

I am submitting written testimony today, because I know how vitally important addressing this issue is to the survival of Black families. I have seen firsthand what the celebration of a healthy birth can look like but also have seen the devastation that the loss of a birthing person causes. The death of a birthing person tears through families and forces a child to navigate the world without the joy of knowing their birthing parent. It robs a birthing person of experiencing the pleasure of parenthood. Birth should be a healthy part of life; birth should never cost a person their life. However, it is the reality for Black birthing people in the United States at far higher rates than their White counterparts. I do not think this is a problem without solutions. I am confident that together we can overcome the abysmal mortality and morbidity rates of Black birthing people.

I would like to propose three recommendations that have been shown to positively impact outcomes for birthing people:

  1. Increasing training for obstetrical and primary care providers on the benefits of evidenced-based community models such as the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) would increase access to these programs for birthing people. Evidenced-based community interventions have a long history of improving birthing outcomes for pregnant people and their families. For example, the Nurse-Family Partnership is backed by over forty-five years of research showing substantial health improvements for birthing people. Programs such as NFP support birthing people to advocate for themselves within a healthcare system that does not always hear the voices of Black birthing people.
  2. Access to doula services for all birthing people should be considered standard. Doula services should be fully covered by payors, optimized by providers, and accessible to all patients. Evidence has shown when a pregnant person is matched with a doula, they are more likely to have better birth outcomes.
  3. Implicit bias training should become a continuous required training for all licensed healthcare providers. We must directly address racism in healthcare. I believe anti-racist initiatives such as implicit bias training will help to eliminate the racial disparities that are present.

Thank you again for the opportunity to testify on this important topic. I look forward to seeing the work that comes out of the Committee on Public Health and Human Services related to Black maternal mortality and morbidity.

Sincerely,

Shukriyyah Mitchell Hinton, BSN, RN

Senior Director, Outreach and Advocacy

  

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  1. Birth Empowerment: Advocating For Informed Consent And Supportive Care
  2. FAIR Project: Holistic Support for Families in Philadelphia
  3. Dr. Erin Graham Announced as First Deputy Executive Director
  4. Governor Shapiro's Speech on Full Practice Authority

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