CAPPA Certified Teen Educator

Get Certified as a Teen Educator

Overview

CAPPA offers the most professional and comprehensive trainings and certification available for perinatal professionals worldwide. CAPPA members receive unsurpassed education, support, and networking opportunities. CAPPA has been training, certifying, and supporting perinatal professionals for well over a decade, and is recognized and respected worldwide.

In order for candidates to be eligible for CAPPA certification they must sign and agree to the following forms- Code of Conduct and Social Media Policy, Grievance Policy, Mission Statement, CAPPA Approach / Philosophy Statement, Vision Statement, and Scope of Practice. We reserve the right to withhold certification to those candidates that do not meet the requirements set forth. We also reserve the right to withhold certification based on all contact with candidates for certification, including, but not limited to phone calls, e-mails, and certification materials. An understanding of CAPPA standards of professionalism, our scope of practice, and code of conduct must be demonstrated by candidates at all times and in all communications. Failure to demonstrate an understanding of the aforementioned may result in CAPPA withholding certification. This is rare.

While 92% of candidates do obtain certification, CAPPA cannot guarantee certification will be obtained by entering our program. In the event a candidate fails to pass certification requirements, the candidate has up to one year to complete the failed portions of the certification requirements. There will be no further processing fees. The candidate who exceeds one year to complete the aforementioned portions of certification may be asked to re-enter the certification program and may incur additional fees. Please be advised that policies and prices may be changed or adjusted during the course of your certification process.

Please allow approximately six weeks for CAPPA to grade and process your certification materials* once we receive them. CAPPA receives a high volume of certification requests, and each certification request is given individual attention. Upon successful completion of any of the CAPPA certification programs, you will receive a CAPPA certificate. CAPPA certified teen educators may use the letters "CCTE" after their names.

You must be at least 18 years old to certify with CAPPA. 

When submitting your certification materials, please do not send originals. Please do not send your certification materials to CAPPA in a way that requires us to sign for them. CAPPA staff retrieves the CAPPA mail after Post Office hours. We cannot sign for mail! 

Our website reflects the most recent updates to our programs. While you should use the certification checklist included in your packet to ensure that you've completed all the steps, you are certainly welcome to request an updated checklist from your program director if you wish to complete the more up-to-date certification steps. Please remember that your certification packet expires two years from date of purchase (and your training also expires two years from the date you took the training). If you do not complete your certification requirements within your deadline, you will be required to complete the most up to date program steps for certification.

About teen pregnancy and the CAPPA Teen Program

Teen pregnancy rates have reached the lowest level since the 1940s. Though teen pregnancy is 100% preventable, CAPPA recognizes that it is an issue that will probably never fully disappear. Expectant teens should be afforded the same opportunities toward a healthy pregnancy that other women experience. These opportunities should include access to education regarding the realities of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and postpartum issues. The CAPPA Teen Program aims to prepare educators and support professionals to work with expectant and parenting teens. 

Expectant teens can present special challenges for a childbirth educator. The CAPPA Teen Program teaches the different ways in which the teen population learns information, thus enabling childbirth educators to effectively cater to their special needs. This includes making modifications to current curricula both in content and method of delivery, in order to teach teens in a way in which they can understand. A CAPPA teen educator understands the conflicts of pregnancy during the adolescent stage of development, she establishes the unique needs of the expectant teen, and she identifies various resources available to assist educators who work with pregnant teens. CAPPA trained and certified teen educators work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and in private settings.

Professionals who would benefit from the Teen Educator training program:

Traditional Certification

Distance Certification

This program was designed for the many women who are unable to attend a teen educator training. Each participant will receive the teen educator training manual and the certification packet.

7 CAPPA contact hours are awarded upon completion of the distance program.

    • You must be at least 18 years old.
    • Be a member of CAPPA. All CAPPA certified professionals are required to maintain continuous membership. A lapse in your CAPPA membership will result in a $50.00 reinstatement fee and all overdue membership dues must be paid. CAPPA certified professionals who let their membership lapse more than 120 days must pay a $100.00 reinstatement fee plus all past due membership dues. In order for CAPPA to issue a certificate of certification or recertification you must have a minimum of 120 days remaining on your current CAPPA membership. If you have less than 120 days remaining on your membership you will need to renew prior to your certificate being issued.
    • Purchase and complete the CAPPA teen education program materials, available in our shop.
    • Read the CAPPA Teen Educator Manual.
    • Read books from the required reading list as specified on the list.
    • Must complete Part I of the HUG Your Baby Training. You MUST use the following link to complete the training: http://cappahyb.digitalchalk.com, as it is a link just for CAPPA members. Cost of the training is $35, which you will pay to HUG Your Baby when you go to this link. After completing the training, you will receive a certificate of completion from HUG Your Baby, which you will need to submit to CAPPA with your certification paperwork. **See Contact Hours (CEUs) under Recertification for additional CEU opportunities with the HUG Your Baby Program
    • Volunteer twenty (20) hours in a health department OB setting, STD clinic, or Teen Clinic. Documentation of hours completed and activities observed required.
    • Provide support at two teen births. Documentation required.
    • Interview two pregnant teens with questionnaire included in certification packet.
    • Attend a childbirth education class at least 10 hours in length. The class must be taught by a childbirth educator currently certified by CAPPA, Lamaze, or ICEA (proof required). If you cannot locate a class that qualifies, you may do the online option. You will need to write a short outline and synopsis of what you learned.
    • Write an essay about the special needs of pregnant and parenting teens.
    • Survey five teen pregnancy professionals with the survey included in certification packet.
    • Write an essay about your experiences while going through this program.
    • Submit two letters of recommendation from a Certified Labor Doula, Certified Childbirth Educator, Midwife, OB, Pediatrician, IBCLC, Certified Lactation Educator, Certified Antepartum Doula, or Certified Postpartum Doula.
    • Maintain a resource manual with information on local support for teen parents. The resources must at least include the following: certified lactation consultants, breast pump rental locations, support group information, labor and postpartum doulas, childbirth and lactation educators, chiropractors, mental health providers that specialize in postpartum disorders, and scientifically supported articles on topics such as breastfeeding, circumcision, and formula feeding.
    • In order for candidates to be eligible for CAPPA certification they must sign and agree to the following forms- Code of Conduct and Social Media Policy, Grievance Policy, Mission Statement, CAPPA Approach / Philosophy Statement, Vision Statement, and Scope of Practice. Forms are also in the Teen Educator Certification Packet.
    • Pay the exam processing fee of $75.00.
    • Pass a test on teen educator topics. The test is an open book test and the answer sheet must be submitted with your final certification. An 85% passing grade is required.