St. Luke’s Nurse-Family Partnership celebrates 25 years of supporting mothers and children
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (Lehigh County) — St. Luke’s Nurse-Family Partnership is celebrating its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter-century of providing support, education and guidance to first-time mothers and their children.
Since its establishment in 2001, the program has served more than 3,400 mothers and families, helping them navigate pregnancy, early childhood development and the challenges of parenthood.
The free, voluntary program pairs economically disadvantaged first-time mothers with specially trained nurses who provide in-home visits, prenatal guidance, child development education and life skills support.
Among the families who have benefited from the program is Angeles Sanchez of Allentown, whose 2-year-old son, Matias, enjoys playing with wooden cars and making holiday crafts.
For Sanchez, those handmade crafts celebrating her son’s first Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas serve as reminders of Kelly Branch, the nurse home visitor who supported her family through difficult times.
“Kelly connected with me so deeply,” Angeles Sanchez said. “She became someone to talk with, to laugh with, to cry to. It was so much more than a program. It’s something I’ll always cherish.”
Sanchez, who lives with her husband and son, experienced complications during her first pregnancy. At her 20-week appointment, doctors discovered a kidney issue affecting her unborn son, leading to a difficult delivery and two surgeries.
“It was scary,” she said. “I didn’t expect that to be the outcome of my first pregnancy.”
Branch supported Sanchez throughout the diagnosis, delivery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and subsequent medical procedures. Today, Matias is a healthy and energetic 2-year-old.
Sanchez also experienced severe postpartum depression following her son’s birth. As she struggled with the emotional challenges of becoming a mother, she turned to Branch for support. Branch connected her with a therapist who helped her through the difficult period.
“What really made the biggest difference for me was postpartum,” she said. “In your first pregnancy, you have such a different expectation of life after the baby is born. But it hit me so hard and threw me way out of my comfort zone because it was such a drastic change. They were there for me when I was going through that.”
The Nurse-Family Partnership focuses on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, a critical period for growth, learning and overall health. Through regular home visits, nurses help mothers develop parenting skills, understand their children’s developmental needs and establish strong foundations for their families.
Although families graduate from the program when their children turn 2, the relationships formed between mothers and their nurses often continue beyond that milestone.
Sanchez said she considers Branch part of her family and hopes other first-time mothers will take advantage of the program.
“I would recommend it in a heartbeat,” she said. “It’s not just a program. You have so much guidance and even get a new friend. Some people don’t have a strong support system, and this can help. I would recommend it to anybody for education, support, guidance, everything.”
The Nurse-Family Partnership’s 25th anniversary is one of three milestones being recognized by St. Luke’s in 2026. The organization’s Community Health Department is marking its 30th anniversary, while St. Luke’s Hospice is celebrating 40 years of service.
