The Center for Breastfeeding’s Lactation Counselor Training Course is a college-level course designed to provide up-to-date, research-based information and clinical competency validation for the provision of professional lactation care. This five-day course is offered at a variety of locations throughout the United States and around the world, training over 4,500 participants annually. On the final day, the CLC® examination, the premier national certification in lactation management for the United States, is administered by the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP).

Breastfeeding is an important public health issue. To better support breastfeeding families, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, among other international and national health authorities, recommend that all maternal/child health care workers be educated in the skills necessary to support breastfeeding families.

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The research and competency-based lactation management training provides:

  • Comprehensive breastfeeding management training
  • Practical skills that will make you more effective in your job
  • Time-saving hospital strategies that make breastfeeding a success
  • Strategies and tips for special circumstances – premies, Down Syndrome, newborns affected by medications, and more
  • How to talk to mothers in a way that encourages them to choose breastfeeding
  • Public Health/WIC strategies that work to increase breastfeeding success

Successful completion of the course signifies that the learner has met the required competencies and has a firm grounding in information and counseling skills required to provide support to breastfeeding mothers and their children.

Our course provides continuing education for registered nurses, lactation consultants, lactation counselors, and dietitians.

Completion of this course also satisfies the 20-hour staff member training requirement of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). The credit hours received through this five-day course may be applied to the continuing education hours required to sit for the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (“IBLCE”) examination or to renew the IBLCE credential by CERPs.

Contact Hours: RNs: 52; RDs: 52; CLCs: 52 Contact Hours; IBLCs: 52 L-CERPs; College Credits: 3, MCH 330

Participants who successfully complete the entire CLC course can also take an additional 175 hours of online learning. (Not required for CLC Certification.) Learn more.

How do I become a CLC? Download our 2018 flyer or postcard or our 2019 Spring flyer or postcard for information about the course.

What is a CLC? Download the flyer from The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP).

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