Abstract
LEAARC is committed to creating equity and access to lactation education. Access is addressed in the LEAARC mission, “To advance the global development of lactation education. . .,” the vision statement, “Global access to consistent foundational and continuing professional lactation education,” and the equity statement, “Because LEAARC believes all families deserve equitable access to skilled lactation care, LEAARC is committed to ensuring that all communities have access to quality lactation education and skilled lactation consultants.” Programs that are sponsored by post-secondary educational institutions can apply for programmatic accreditation, which is awarded by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of LEAARC. The CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Lactation Consultant Education Programs provide the basis for evaluating all applicants for accreditation, the geographic location notwithstanding. While there is not a specific standard to address equity and access, these issues are threaded throughout the CAAHEP and LEAARC policies, standards, and procedures. For example, equity can be addressed in the institutional mission; programs are asked to describe how the program mission aligns with the institutional mission. Equity is addressed in policies related to faculty recruitment and hiring practices, and in student recruitment and admission not only to the institution but also to the program. Programs seeking CAAHEP accreditation participate in a comprehensive accreditation process, including a site visit. LEAARC policies that govern training of site visitors and site team selection address cultural competency to assure that teams are qualified to evaluate programs within the specific cultural setting.
While stand-alone courses in lactation management and breastfeeding are not eligible to apply for accreditation, LEAARC offers an endorsement process through which courses can participate in peer-review. The recently updated LEAARC Criteria for Endorsed Courses are used to evaluate courses that apply for endorsement, and the criteria are applied consistently to all applicants. LEAARC endorsement signifies that the course meets prescribed indicators of quality in faculty, curriculum, and practices.
Consistent with the LEAARC mission, vision, and equity statements, LEAARC provides access to any program that wishes to become accredited, or to any course that wishes to achieve endorsement. Innovations in curriculum delivery provide opportunities to address inequities in lactation education including, but not limited to, language barriers, access to qualified instructors and clinical preceptors, and financial burdens. LEAARC’s fee structure is modelled on the World Bank economic classification for countries to ease the financial burden and encourage course development in countries with lower economic standing.
LEAARC is committed to expanding opportunities for access to lactation education both domestically and internationally. While both the Standards and the Criteria identify specific quality metrics, neither document is prescriptive. Consequently, each program or course describes how it meets the metrics. Both CAAHEP and LEAARC encourage innovations in curriculum development, implementation, delivery, and evaluation.
