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.
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.
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)
Maternal Mental Health by First Three Years - $20
Diversity Equity and Inclusion
Diversity Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood by first three years - $20
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
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.
- 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.
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.
Requirements - Level 2
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.
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)
Maternal Mental Health by First Three Years - $20
How to work with a preemie
[**only required IF you haven't worked with one families that have a moderately preterm baby born before 32 weeks gestation
Navigating the NICU by The NICU Translator
Diversity Equity and Inclusion
Diversity Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood by first three years - $20
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
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.
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), Perinatal Mood Disorders, Sleep, Reflux, Child Passenger Safety, Oral Ties, Infant Development, Neuroscience, Infant Allergies, Infant Sensory Processing, Safety (safe sleep, infectious disease control.
- 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 34 and 37 weeks gestation OR take The NICU Translator Course for Doulas on confidently support clients before, during, or after a NICU stay.
- 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.
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.
Requirements - Level 3 Premier
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
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)
Maternal Mental Health by First Three Years - $20
How to work with a preemie [**only required IF you haven't worked with one families that have a moderately preterm baby born before 32 weeks gestation
Navigating the NICU by The NICU Translator
Diversity Equity and Inclusion
Diversity Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood by first three years - $20
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
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.
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), 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.
Show that you have given back to the NCS community through activities such as mentoring newer NCSs in our industry independently or through the NCSA mentorship program, giving your time working on an NCSA Committee, writing multiple educational blog posts, or heading a support group for NCSs. [must send proof via email]
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 OR take The NICU Translator Course for Doulas on confidently support clients before, during, or after a NICU stay.
- Must include one family with a very preterm baby, born at less than 32 weeks gestation OR take The NICU Translator Course for Doulas on confidently support clients before, during, or after a NICU stay.
- 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.
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]
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
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.
