The Center for Breastfeeding: 

a major focus of The Healthy Children Project

Healthy Children is defining the field of research based breastfeeding education and ethical, evidence-based breastfeeding practice. Healthy Children is a non-profit 501(c)3 research and educational institution dedicated to improving child health outcomes through partnerships with public, private and non-profit agencies.

We have a new address! 

327 Quaker Meeting House Road

East Sandwich, MA 02537-1300

Our Focus

Education: Offering lactation training programs for novices and professionals

Collaboration: Working together to create meaningful change in the field of maternal and child health care delivery

Research: Designing and implementing collaborative inquiry to solve practical dilemmas incorporating evidence-based protocols and solutions

Consulting: Developing and implementing community specific strategies to promote, protect and support breastfeeding

Get to Know Us

The Healthy Children Project was established in 1993 as a non-profit research and educational institution dedicated to improving child health outcomes in partnership with public, private and non-profit agencies. Healthy Children assumed responsibility for the educational services which had been provided by Health Education Associates Inc. since 1976. Through its Center for Breastfeeding, Healthy Children is the largest national provider of lactation management education for health care providers. More than 1,500 health providers, advocates and facilitators are educated annually through more than 50 offerings across the United States. These include five-day courses, certificate courses, workshops, seminars, self-study modules, national and international conferences. Educational offerings are held at hospitals, Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Programs, health department training facilities, colleges, and other locations suitable for adult education. Continuing education units are available to registered dietitians, registered nurses, and internationally board certified lactation consultants through long-term provider agreements.

Healthy Children faculty are leaders in the field who are recognized for their evidence-based scholarship as well as their clinical experience. Faculty serve in leadership positions in maternal and child health coalitions on the regional and national level. Healthy Children is a founding member of the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), and invited member of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Breastfeeding Promotion Consortium and a member of the National Healthy Mothers/ Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB). 

Karin Cadwell, PhD, FAAN, RN, IBCLC is the Executive Director of Healthy Children and the Lead Faculty. Dr. Cadwell is an internationally recognized leader in the field of breastfeeding and human lactation. She is a member of the US Breastfeeding Committee, convener of the US UNICEF/WHO implementation of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, Baby Friendly USA, Chair of the National Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Breastfeeding Committee and Leader of the Eisenhower Foundation international delegations on breastfeeding and human lactation. She is the author of numerous books and articles, and was awarded the designation IBCLC in 1985 for "significant contribution to the field" and has also certified by exam. Her most recent books include Reclaiming Breastfeeding in the United States: promotion, protection and support and Maternal and Infant Assessment for Breastfeeding and Human Lactation: A guide for the practitioner. 

Meet our faculty!

College Credit Recommendations, RN Contact Hours, IBCLC .L CERPs, Credits for Nurse-Midwives and RD Credit

Healthy Children Project has been approved as a long-term provider by the American Nurses Credentialing Committee. Approval of an institution as a long term provider by ANCC involved a rigorous examination of the provider unit by a team of nurse experts, followed by review by the provider unit by ANCC's Commission on Accreditation. All of Healthy Children's programs are approved for nursing continuing education through the ANCC. Healthy Children Project is also a long term provider of continuing education for the International Board of Lactation Consulting Examiners (IBLCE). IBLCE is a non-profit corporation established to develop and administer a voluntary certification program for lactation consultants, based on certification guidelines developed by the US National Commission for Health Certifying Agencies. Healthy Children programs qualify for LCERPs that may be used to qualify for sitting for the IBCLC exam and for Lactation Consultants who are renewing their IBCLC designation. Healthy Children courses are also approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration for CPEs for RDs. The American College of Nurse-Midwives has approved the CLC for Continuing Education Credits from the ACNM. The staff at Healthy Children are available to help participants apply for credits from other accrediting bodies on an individual basis. 

 

Many of Healthy Children's courses have been approved for college credit recommendations by the American Council on Education (ACE). ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutes. A team of content and education experts selected from college faculty examined Healthy Children courses and have awarded college credit recommendations based on their findings that Healthy Children's programs are comparable to college level courses. This will increase the likelihood that your Healthy Children courses will be accepted for transfer to the college or university of your choice, in addition to indicating the high quality of our offerings. These college credit recommendations are also accepted by The Union Institute and University as part of a bachelors degree in Maternal Child Health: Lactation Consulting. 

Contact Information

Telephone

508 888 8044 (Monday - Friday, 9-4:30, Eastern Time)

FAX

508 888 8050

Postal address

327 Quaker Meeting House Road East Sandwich, MA 02537-1300 USA

Electronic mail

  info@healthychildren.cc

(Our previous address was: 8 Jan Sebastian Way #13 Sandwich, MA 02563 USA)