No, as of 2022, IBCLCs are no longer required to recertify by examination every ten years.
IBCLCs are required to recertify every five years to maintain their credential. IBCLCs now have the option to recertify by examination OR to recertify by CERPs with the Continuing Education Self-Assessment for each five-year recertification cycle. Learn more here.
When you are eligible to register for the IBCLC Continuing Education Self-Assessment, you will receive an email from IBLCE and an email with log-in details for the CE Self-Assessment Dashboard. You will need to reset your password and register for the CE Self-Assessment before launching the assessment. The CE Self-Assessment is currently only available to IBCLCs due to recertify in 2022.
If you have previously received this email and claimed your account, you can log in to the CE Self-Assessment Dashboard here.
Learn more about using the CE Self-Assessment Dashboard here.
You are only allowed to take the CE Self-Assessment once during any 5-year recertification period and 18-24 months after you are certified/recertified.
Yes, you can apply CERPs hours that you took before the CE Self-Assessment to your required areas as identified in the Personalised Professional Development Plan from the CE Self-Assessment.
If you are not certain about the education provider’s full range of products or relationship with the WHO Code, you should contact the education provider directly and confirm their compliance with the WHO Code.
In order to afford a transitional period with respect to this new requirement, education completed prior to January 1, 2022 can be used toward certification and recertification. Certificates dated January 1, 2022 or later will not count towards IBCLC certification or recertification if the educator is an entity, inclusive of manufacturers, distributors, or marketers, whose products fall within the WHO Code (e.g., infant formula, bottles, and teats).
The 250 hours in lactation consulting can be full- or part-time, volunteer or paid, or a combination of both. Here some examples:
Refer to the following documents regarding practice as an IBCLC, as well as taking into consideration the importance of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes from the World Health Organization:
IBCLC Scope of Practice
Clinical Competencies for IBCLCs
Detailed Content Outline
The impact of COVID-19 necessitated changes to IBLCE’s typical process of disseminating IBCLC certificates. After evaluating options for the necessary quality assurance and dissemination processes, IBLCE determined that the logistics of providing paper certificates, inclusive of ID cards and examination results packets, are not in accordance with the World Health Organisation guidelines for protecting IBLCE team members and associated vendors from COVID-19.
We understand that certificates are important to many of you, and IBLCE is working to provide a new solution that meets IBCLC needs and that can be provided by IBLCE staff and vendors in alignment with current health guidelines.
For those who became certified or recertified in 2020, there are other options to verify your certification status now, including:
You can see the status of your application by logging in to your account through the IBLCE online credential management system.
If your application has not been confirmed, you will see a notification with additional information on your home page. Please wait for an email from IBLCE staff. Additional information or documentation may be required.
If you do not see a notification when you log in, you can check your application status by clicking on ”Apply for an Exam” in the sidebar (pictured here).
If the status of your application is ”pending results” or ”confirmed,” then there is nothing further for you to do at this time; IBLCE will email you information in February 2023 regarding scheduling your examination appointment.
You can see the status of your application by logging in to your account through the IBLCE online credential management system.
Once you’ve logged in, you will see the menu pictured here. Please go to “My Credentials,” where you can verify if your application is complete by checking the expiration date on your certification.
If your application was accepted, your expiration date will have moved out five years. If the application is complete, there is nothing further for you to do at this time.
If the expiration date has not changed, please wait for an email from IBLCE staff. Additional information or documentation may be required.
