Become a Certified Newborn Care Specialist CNCS®

What does NCS Certification mean?

The gold standard of certification means that you have been trained, and then certified by a third party organization that reviews and verifies your coursework, work in the field and knowledge on newborns. A certification of completion or certificate of completion from a Newborn Care Specialist training does not make you a Certified Newborn Care Specialist. It makes you a trained Newborn Care Specialist.

*Be wary of organizations that offer you a certification through their own programs. Not all trainings are equal in quality and not all certifications are legitimate.*

Why should I get certified?

Professional Association Certification Gives You A Competitive Advantage
It is a clear indicator of your commitment to invest in your own professional development. When you have a certification that your competitors don’t, it sets you apart and can differentiate you from other professionals in your field by showing that you have the required knowledge and qualifications and also have demonstrated your commitment to understanding and excelling in your profession through documented experience.

Certified Newborn Care Specialist [CNCS] Becomes Your Professional Title
Being certified is an impartial, third-party endorsement from your professional association of your knowledge, expertise and hands on experience. Your title is protected with our registered trademark and you get to put CNCS after your name!

Validation of Skills and Knowledge to Parents and Agencies
Industry Association Certifications serve as a tangible proof of an individual's expertise and proficiency in a specific area. They validate that the certified professional possesses the skills and knowledge required to perform tasks within their field. Agencies prefer to work with Newborn Care Specialists who are certified, and sometimes exclusively so. Over time parents will recognize the significance of certification, in the meantime you might need to help educate them.

Professional Association Certification Increases your Earning Potential
Studies show that the time and effort invested in professional certification can increase salaries and rates by up to 20%.

The NCSA offers three levels of Newborn Care Specialist Certification

Choose your Certification Level and Apply Today!

Please review each certification level and choose which level you’d like to apply for:

*Please note that for all levels, hours accepted towards certification should be within the last five years and the majority of hours completed after a successful completion of an NCSA-approved Newborn Care Specialist foundational course.

*NCSA Certifications are valid for 3 years. Then recertification is required.

ONE: Foundational Certification

TWO: Advanced Certification

THREE: Premier Certification

ONE: Foundational Certification

Requirements - Level 1

1. Establish Membership with NCSA

2. Complete an NCSA approved Foundational NCS course [list of approved courses HERE]

3. Complete the following list of requirements BEFORE submitting your application.

Required Videos and Courses

Finding and Evaluating Academic Sources Video Lecture
Watch now.

Bonding and attachment (Infant Mental Health)

Introduction to infant mental health by First Three Years - $20

Early Brain Development Attachment and Bonding by First Three Years - $20

Perinatal Mood Disorders
Postpartum Support International PSI
Free Webinar on Maternal Mental Health
(or a similar course taught by a qualified expert)

Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Diversity Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood by first three years - $20

Write a brief summary on finding and Evaluating Academic Sources

Required Lactation Training

NCSA Certified Newborn Care Specialists should be familiar with and work only up to their highest level of Lactation Qualification’s scope of practice:

WIC or La lech league peer counselor
Certified Lactation Educator
Certified Lactation Counselor
Certified Breastfeeding Specialist
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

If you have not yet obtained a lactation training you are required to take either the Lactation Education Resources course below or another similar course taught by a qualified expert in lactation.

Lactation Education Resources
Basics of Lactation Management $65

Current Background Check

Please upload a copy of your background check obtained within the last year.

**Each state has its own requirements for a background check. Please check with the state in which you live or will be working.

The NCSA recommends the use of Trustline for parents, agencies, and Newborn Care Specialists where applicable. Other forms of background checks are acceptable – but Trustline not only conducts a thorough background criminal check – they do ongoing screening.

Other suitable companies to use for a background check include eNannySource, and GoodHireWatch to run a personal background check on yourself.

Gather details for 2000 Verifiable hours

Verifiable hours caring for newborns 0-16 weeks (adjusted) as an NCS.

- Must include at least 3 families
- Must include 100 hours of daytime care (between 8am-8pm)
- Must include 100 hours of overnight care (between 8pm-8am)
- Must include a minimum of 3 families, and one family that breast/chest-fed

**The NCSA provides a form that needs to be filled out with contact info for each family you provided care for. You will receive this form by email as part of the application process.

Complete an online application

Below is a list of requirements that you will need to have ready to upload into the application.

Answer several questions
Upload proof of CPR Certification
Upload a background check (completed within the last year)
Upload proof of current liability insurance
Upload document of verified hours *we will provide the document for you to fill out

**The application will allow you to save your progress and return back to it later on.

4. Pay the application fee of $100

5. Read and Sign the NCSA Code of Conduct, Scope of Practice and Grievance Policy and Procedure

6. Successfully pass the NCSA Level 1 Exam - which is composed of 100 multiple-choice questions and can be taken online with a proctor.

TWO: Advanced Certification

Requirements - Level 2

1. Establish Membership with NCSA

2. Complete an NCSA approved Foundational NCS course [list of approved cases HERE]

3. Complete the following list of requirements BEFORE submitting your application.

Required Videos and Courses

Finding and Evaluating Academic Sources Video Lecture
Watch now.

Bonding and attachment (Infant Mental Health)

Introduction to infant mental health by First Three Years - $20

Early Brain Development Attachment and Bonding by First Three Years - $20

Perinatal Mood Disorders
Postpartum Support International PSI
Free Webinar on Maternal Mental Health
(or a similar course taught by a qualified expert)

Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Diversity Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood by first three years - $20

Write a brief summary on finding and Evaluating Academic Sources

Required Lactation Training

NCSA Certified Newborn Care Specialists should be familiar with and work only up to their highest level of Lactation Qualification’s scope of practice:

WIC or La lech league peer counselor
Certified Lactation Educator
Certified Lactation Counselor
Certified Breastfeeding Specialist
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

If you have not yet obtained a lactation training you are required to take either the Lactation Education Resources course below or another similar course taught by a qualified expert in lactation.

Lactation Education Resources
Basics of Lactation Management $65

Current Background Check

Please upload a copy of your background check obtained within the last year.

**Each state has its own requirements for a background check. Please check with the state in which you live or will be working.

Other suitable companies to use for a background check include eNannySource, and GoodHireWatch to run a personal background check on yourself.

30 Hours of Continuing Education

The 30 hours of continuing education must be in at least 3 different subjects, taught by a qualified expert in such as Breastfeeding Lactation Certification (CLE CBE, CLC, etc), Bonding and attachment, Infant & Child Early Mental Health o Perinatal Mood Disorders, Sleep, Reflux, Child Passenger Safety, Oral Ties, Infant Development, Neuroscience, Infant Allergies, Infant Sensory Processing, Safety (safe sleep, infectious disease control.

Gather details for 4000 Verifiable hours

Verifiable hours caring for newborns 0-16 weeks (adjusted) as an NCS.

- - Must include at least 6 families
  - Must include 250 hours of daytime care (between 8am-8pm)
  - Must include 250 hours of overnight care (between 8pm-8am)
  - Must include one family that breast/chest-fedMust include one family that bottle fed
  - Must have worked with a minimum of one family with multiples
  - Must include at least one family with a moderately preterm baby born between 32 and 34 weeks gestation
  - A minimum of three families who each experienced a different specific challenge such as tongue-tie, reflux, medical condition, single parent, surrogacy etc

**The NCSA provides a form that needs to be filled out with contact info for each family you provided care for. You will receive this form by email as part of the application process.

Complete an online application

Below is a list of requirements that you will need to have ready to upload into the application.

Answer several questions
Upload proof of CPR Certification
Upload a background check (completed within the last year)
Upload proof of current liability insurance
Upload document of verified hours *we will provide the document for you to fill out

**The application will allow you to save your progress and return back to it later on.

4. Pay the application fee of $200

5. Read and Sign the NCSA Code of Conduct, Scope of Practice and Grievance Policy and Procedure

6. Successfully pass the NCSA Level 2 Exam - which is composed of 100 multiple-choice questions and can be taken online with a proctor.

THREE: Premier Certification

Requirements - Level 3 Premier

1. Establish Membership with NCSA

2. Complete an NCSA approved Foundational NCS course [list of approved cases HERE]

3. Complete the following list of requirements BEFORE submitting your application

Required Videos and Courses

Finding and Evaluating Academic Sources Video Lecture
Watch now.

Bonding and attachment (Infant Mental Health)

Introduction to infant mental health by First Three Years - $20

Early Brain Development Attachment and Bonding by First Three Years - $20

Perinatal Mood Disorders
Postpartum Support International PSI
Free Webinar on Maternal Mental Health
(or a similar course taught by a qualified expert)

Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Diversity Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood by first three years - $20

Write a brief summary on finding and Evaluating Academic Sources

Required Lactation Training

NCSA Certified Newborn Care Specialists should be familiar with and work only up to their highest level of Lactation Qualification’s scope of practice:

WIC or La lech league peer counselor
Certified Lactation Educator
Certified Lactation Counselor
Certified Breastfeeding Specialist
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

If you have not yet obtained a lactation training you are required to take either the Lactation Education Resources course below or another similar course taught by a qualified expert in lactation.

Lactation Education Resources
Basics of Lactation Management $65

Current Background Check

Please upload a copy of your background check obtained within the last year.

**Each state has its own requirements for a background check. Please check with the state in which you live or will be working.

Other suitable companies to use for a background check include eNannySource, and GoodHireWatch to run a personal background check on yourself.

60 Hours of Continuing Education

The 60 hours of continuing education must be in at least 6 different subjects.

Training should be in-depth, 3+ hours long, certifications where available and taught by a qualified expert in such as Breastfeeding Lactation certification (CBE, CBS, CLC, IBCLC etc), Bonding and attachment, Infant & Child Early Mental Health (Endorsement), Perinatal Mood Disorders (PMH-C), Sleep, Infant Development, Reflux, Child Passenger Safety, Oral Ties, Infant Development, Neuroscience, Infant Allergies, Infant Sensory Processing, and Safety (safe sleep, CPR, risk management, infectious disease). **The above list of videos count towards the 60 hours of continuing education, so does an advanced NCS training or CLC training, for example.

Give Back to the NCS Community

Gather details for 6000 Verifiable hours

Verifiable hours must be caring for newborns 0-16 weeks (adjusted) as an NCS.

Must include at least 12 families
Must include 500 hours of daytime care (between 8am-8pm)
Must include 500 hours of overnight care (between 8pm-8am)
Must include a minimum of six families who breast/chest-fed
Must include six families who bottle-fed formula
Must include a minimum of three families with multiples
Must include a minimum of two families with a moderately preterm baby born between 32 and 34 weeks gestation
Must include one family with a very preterm baby, born at less than 32 weeks gestation
Must include a minimum of six families who each experienced a different specific challenge such as tongue-tie, reflux, medical condition, single parent, surrogacy etc.
**The NCSA provides a form that needs to be filled out with contact info for each family you provided care for. You will receive this form by email as part of the application process.

Submit an Article or Presentation

Upload an article of around 2,500 words or a presentation of 30 minutes on a subject relating to newborn care which is evidence-based such as a discussion of current research where you analyze the findings. This can be written, video or a voice recording. We feel it is important as we advance as NCSs that we can express/reflect on our experience and knowledge and that sharing knowledge without fear of judgment is important for our industry and needs to become more normalized. [must send proof via email]

Complete an Online Application

Below is a list of requirements that you will need to have ready to upload into the application.

Answer several questions
Upload proof of CPR Certification
Upload a background check (completed within the last year)
Upload proof of current liability insurance
Upload proof of 60 hours of continuing education
Upload an essay, case study, or personal statement.
Upload proof that you given have given back to the NCSA community.
Upload an article of around 2,500 words or a presentation of 30 minutes on a subject relating to newborn care which is evidence-based such as a discussion of current research where you analyze the findings.
Upload document of verified hours *we will provide the document for you to fill out

**The application will allow you to save your progress and return back to it later on.

4. Pay the application fee of $300

5. Read and Sign the NCSA Code of Conduct, Scope of Practice and Grievance Policy and Procedure.

6. Pass a panel interview by the NCSA Board of Directors

APPLY FOR CERTIFICATION

APPLY FOR RECERTIFICATION

NCSA-Approved NCS Training Courses

The NCSA is proud to connect you with the following approved educational providers. These training academies offer NCS courses that have met the high standard required by the NCSA and are approved for certification with the NCSA.

The NCSA is in no way affiliated with any of our approved training academies.