Becoming a CAPEA Trainer recognises leadership and training roles as well as competency in the area of childbirth and early parenting education.

Benefits to CAPEA members:  

• Enhance personal CV and record of professional development   
• Public listing of name and workplace/business & location on the CAPEA website (similar to publicly accessible listing of your name and workplace on the AHPRA or LCANZ website), is preferred (but optional) on the CAPEA website, enabling:    
  • Prospective consumers to check the competency of intended provider/s of birth and parenting education service, that indirectly may promote business opportunities
  • Networking for further training and leadership opportunities   
• Recognition of achievement at biennial National CAPEA Conference   
• May provide further reductions to registration fees for CAPEA workshops and seminars

Benefits to CAPEA:   

• Raises the profile of the national organisation to members, providers and receivers of childbirth and early parenting education

Benefits to consumers of childbirth and early parenting education:   

• Prospective consumers can check the competency of any intended provider of birth and parenting education service   
• Assurance that the competency of CAPEA Certified Educators and Trainers is measured against rigorous Australian National Competency Standards for Childbirth and Early Parenting Educators in the absence of any other national regulatory system

What CAPEA Certification CANNOT do:

• Provide certification or registration that is recognised in any legal sense in Australia (eg: AHPRA or AQF )
• Provide an internationally recognized qualification
• Provide indemnity insurance for CAPEA members or consumers of childbirth and early parenting courses 

Certification is assessed by at least 2 members of the CAPEA Further Education Committee. Confidentiality relating to documents being assessed is assured. 

The preferred & fastest method is to send an electronic application via email, however you may contact us to make alternative arrangements.

Assessment may take up to 2 months due to the voluntary roles of CAPEA committee members and other life/work commitments of the assessors.  Notification will be by phone/email initially, and a certificate will be forwarded by email/mail.

Your application for CAPEA Certified Educator or Trainer must include: 

• Cover letter with your name, address, phone number, email, and workplace
• Summary of meeting the criteria, with supporting documents as evidence 
• Application pdf (127kb) and Application Template Word doc (57kb)

Forward your application to the Chairperson, CAPEA Further Education Committee, via email: certification@capea.org.au 

1. CAPEA CERTIFIED EDUCATOR

To qualify as a CAPEA Certified Educator, you must supply the following evidence that indicates competence as a Childbirth and Early Parenting Educator:

1. A.    CAPEA membership

• When the course was completed
• How many hours were completed
• Who conducted the course
• Course outline
• Assessment process

Examples include: Certificate IV in Training and Education; Bachelor/Master of Adult Education; Parenting Educators’ Course, John Hunter Hospital; Calmbirth; Hypnobirthing; Positive Parenting Program; Bringing Baby Home trainers course; Circle of Security trainers course; Australian Breastfeeding Association Group Facilitation course; NCT (UK) Antenatal teaching Degree or Diploma; Lamaze Certified (USA) Childbirth Educator. 

1. C.    Provide evidence of Competency as described in the CAPEA Competency Standards for Childbirth and early Parenting Educators (2011) 

Examples include: completed CAPEA Parenting Educators’ AssessmentTool  by self and/or peer assessment with peer review; evidence of workplace Performance Assessment; client evaluation results 

1. D.    Provide evidence of recency of practice, being a minimum of 30 hours of facilitation of courses related to Childbirth and/or Early Parenting over the past 4 years

Examples include: Workplace diary or website page indicating dates and hours of education conducted by applicant; facilitating courses to expectant and/or new parents; facilitating courses to new and/or experienced childbirth & parenting educators.

1. E.     Provide evidence of professional development relating to facilitating Childbirth and/or early Parenting Education courses, the minimum being 20 hours over the past 4 years

• name of seminar/s, workshop/s, conference/s, webinar/s, online learning package/s, journal article reflections
• provider of the course
• dates completed
• hours completed 

2.  CAPEA CERTIFIED TRAINER

To qualify as a CAPEA Certified Trainer, you must supply the following evidence that indicates competence as a Childbirth and Early Parenting Educator AND functioning in a leadership role enhancing the professional development of childbirth and early parenting educators and/or the integrity of CAPEA.