Accreditation Standards for Professional Care Education Programs
Eight standards, forty-three criteria, one public document. These are the requirements every ICPCAS-accredited program is reviewed against, written so that a program director can read them and know exactly what evidence to prepare.
Three levels of requirement
Every criterion carries one of three words. The word is the rule.
MustA requirement. A program that does not meet a must criterion receives a finding of non-compliance, which must be corrected before or as a condition of accreditation.
ShouldAn expectation. A program not meeting a should criterion must explain how it achieves the intent another way; an unexplained gap is a recommendation in the report, not a finding.
MayPermitted practice. May criteria describe what programs are allowed to do and how it is treated; they are never the basis of a finding.
Evidence, not assertion
Each criterion lists the evidence reviewers examine. A statement that the program meets a criterion is not evidence; the document, record or observation is.
Discipline minimums live elsewhere
Hour counts, practicum requirements and instructor credentials specific to each discipline are set in the Discipline Requirements and are incorporated into Standards 2, 3 and 5 by reference.
Same standard, every size
A sole-proprietor program and a university certificate meet the same criteria. What scales is the volume of evidence, not the requirement.
Standards 1–8
Governance & Continuous Improvement
The program is operated by an accountable organization with the authority, resources and self-assessment practices to deliver it consistently and to improve it over time.
| Criterion | Level | Requirement | Evidence reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | must | The sponsoring organization is legally constituted and names one individual with authority and accountability for the program. | Registration documents; organizational chart; program director appointment |
| 1.2 | must | The program has a written mission and stated graduate outcomes that are reviewed at least every three years. | Mission statement; outcomes document; review minutes |
| 1.3 | must | The program collects and analyzes completion, assessment and graduate-feedback data at least annually and documents resulting changes. | Annual program review; data tables; change log |
| 1.4 | must | Financial resources are sufficient to deliver the program as described to every enrolled cohort, including in the event of closure (teach-out plan). | Budget summary; teach-out plan |
| 1.5 | should | The program maintains an advisory input mechanism that includes practitioners, graduates and the communities served. | Advisory group roster and notes |
Curriculum & Instructional Hours
The curriculum is written, sequenced, aligned to the discipline standard, and delivered for at least the minimum instructional hours, with hands-on skills taught in a way that can be observed and assessed.
| Criterion | Level | Requirement | Evidence reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | must | A written curriculum states learning objectives for each unit, mapped to the competency framework of the discipline standard. | Curriculum map; syllabi |
| 2.2 | must | Instructional hours meet or exceed the minimum for the discipline (see Disciplines), with contact, practicum and self-directed hours reported separately. | Hour schedule by modality |
| 2.3 | must | Content is current and evidence-informed; sources are cited and reviewed on a stated cycle not exceeding three years. | Reference list; review record |
| 2.4 | must | Scope of practice, ethics, cultural humility and referral criteria are taught as discrete units, not only as asides. | Syllabi; unit objectives |
| 2.5 | should | Curriculum includes trauma-informed practice and communication with clinical teams appropriate to the discipline. | Syllabi |
| 2.6 | may | Programs may offer elective or specialty modules beyond the core, identified as such on the certificate. | Certificate template |
Instructor Qualifications
Instruction is delivered by people with current, documented competence in the discipline and the ability to teach adults.
| Criterion | Level | Requirement | Evidence reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | must | Each lead instructor holds a credential in the discipline from a recognized body, or equivalent documented experience of at least three years, as defined in the discipline standard. | Instructor files: credentials, CV |
| 3.2 | must | Lead instructors demonstrate preparation in adult education (training, mentored teaching or equivalent) within five years of appointment. | Teaching qualification or record |
| 3.3 | must | Instructors delivering clinical-adjacent content (e.g., feeding, perinatal mental health) hold the specific qualification the discipline standard requires for that content. | Instructor files |
| 3.4 | must | Instructor-to-student ratio for skills practice does not exceed 1:12, or 1:8 for hands-on comfort and positioning skills. | Cohort rosters; schedule |
| 3.5 | should | Instructors complete at least 12 hours of discipline-relevant continuing education annually. | CE records |
Assessment of Competence
Graduation depends on a demonstrated, documented assessment that measures the competencies the program claims to produce.
| Criterion | Level | Requirement | Evidence reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | must | A written assessment plan links each competency to at least one assessment method (knowledge, skills demonstration, case analysis or supervised practice evaluation). | Assessment blueprint |
| 4.2 | must | Skills competencies are assessed by direct observation (live or verified recorded) against a published rubric; attendance alone never satisfies a skills competency. | Rubrics; observation records |
| 4.3 | must | Pass standards are set and published before the assessment is administered; students receive written results and remediation options. | Assessment policy; sample results letters |
| 4.4 | must | Assessment integrity is protected (identity verification for online assessment, secure item banks, proctoring proportionate to stakes). | Integrity procedures |
| 4.5 | should | Assessment instruments are reviewed for reliability and bias at least every three years with results documented. | Review report |
Supervised Practice & Field Experience
Where the discipline standard requires practice, students gain it under qualified supervision with structured feedback and documentation.
| Criterion | Level | Requirement | Evidence reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | must | Practice requirements meet the discipline minimum (hours, encounters or cases) and are tracked per student. | Practicum logs |
| 5.2 | must | Supervisors or preceptors meet the qualification standard for the discipline and are oriented to the program's expectations in writing. | Preceptor agreements; orientation record |
| 5.3 | must | Each student receives documented formative feedback during practice and a summative evaluation at completion. | Evaluation forms |
| 5.4 | must | Clients or families in practice settings give informed consent to student involvement; the program holds a written consent protocol. | Consent template and protocol |
| 5.5 | should | The program maintains written agreements with host sites (hospitals, agencies, community organizations) that define roles and liability. | Site agreements |
Scope of Practice, Ethics & Referral
Graduates know where their role ends, hold to a published code of ethics, and recognize and refer situations outside their scope.
| Criterion | Level | Requirement | Evidence reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | must | The program publishes a scope-of-practice statement for graduates consistent with the discipline standard, including an explicit list of activities graduates do not perform. | Scope statement |
| 6.2 | must | Students are taught and assessed on recognizing red-flag conditions and referral pathways to clinical and emergency care. | Syllabi; assessment items |
| 6.3 | must | The program adopts a written code of ethics (its own or a recognized body's) covering consent, confidentiality, boundaries, non-discrimination and advertising. | Code of ethics |
| 6.4 | must | Marketing and certificates never describe graduates as clinicians, use clinical titles, or imply licensure or medical competence the program does not confer. | Marketing samples; certificate template |
| 6.5 | should | The program teaches collaboration and communication with clinical teams, including documentation practices appropriate to the role. | Syllabi |
Student Protections & Fair Practices
Students are told the truth before they pay, treated fairly while enrolled, and have somewhere to go when something goes wrong.
| Criterion | Level | Requirement | Evidence reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | must | Before enrollment, students receive in writing: total cost, hour requirements, completion requirements, refund policy, the scope statement, and the program's accreditation status. | Pre-enrollment disclosure |
| 7.2 | must | The refund policy provides at minimum a full refund before instruction begins and a pro-rated refund through the first 25% of instruction. | Refund policy |
| 7.3 | must | A written grievance procedure with defined timelines exists, is given to every student, and its outcomes are logged. | Grievance procedure; log |
| 7.4 | must | A non-discrimination policy and a reasonable-accommodation process are published and applied. | Policies; accommodation records |
| 7.5 | must | Student records (enrollment, assessment results, completion) are retained for at least five years and students can obtain a transcript or verification. | Records policy |
| 7.6 | must | Certificates state the discipline, instructional hours, completion date and the program's name; they never state or imply a credential the program does not award. | Certificate template |
Equity, Access & Language
The program serves the communities its graduates will serve, and the standards are met in every language and format of delivery.
| Criterion | Level | Requirement | Evidence reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1 | must | Programs delivered in more than one language meet every standard in each language, with instructors qualified in that language of instruction. | Instructor files by language |
| 8.2 | must | Admission criteria are relevant to success in the discipline and do not require credentials the discipline does not need. | Admission policy |
| 8.3 | should | Curriculum addresses disparities in perinatal and care outcomes and the role of the practitioner in reducing them. | Syllabi |
| 8.4 | should | The program documents efforts to make training accessible to practitioners from the communities it serves (scheduling, cost, location, language). | Program review |
| 8.5 | may | Programs may seek recognition of culturally specific or Indigenous frameworks of care as meeting curriculum standards through an equivalence review. | Equivalence request |
Written in public, revised on a cycle
ICPCAS standards follow the development practice of established accreditors and standards bodies: open drafting, mandatory public comment, piloting before adoption, and a fixed review cycle.
Editions
| Edition | Status | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2027.1 | Current | Inaugural edition for the Perinatal Care Division. Adopted after a 60-day public comment period and three pilot reviews. |
| 2026 draft | Superseded | Public comment draft. Forty-one comments received; summary and responses published. |
| Midlife & End-of-Life divisions | In development | Discipline requirements for menopause coach and end-of-life doula programs; public comment expected 2027. |
About the standards
Are these standards aligned with anything outside ICPCAS?
They follow the structure used by recognized program accreditors (sponsorship and governance, curriculum, faculty, assessment, practice, fair practices) and the principles in ISO/IEC 17011 for accreditation bodies and ISO/IEC 17024 for personnel credentialing, adapted to non-clinical care programs. Where a discipline has an established competency framework from a recognized body, the Discipline Requirements reference it.
Do the standards prescribe a curriculum or philosophy of care?
No. They require that your curriculum be written, mapped to competencies, delivered for enough hours, taught by qualified people and assessed. What you teach within scope, and the model of care you teach, is yours. Culturally specific and Indigenous frameworks may be recognized through an equivalence review (criterion 8.5).
What happens if we meet every must but few should criteria?
You can be accredited. Unmet should criteria appear as recommendations in the report and are expected to be addressed by reaccreditation. A pattern of ignoring recommendations across cycles can become a finding under Standard 1.3.
Can we download the standards?
Yes. The PDF edition, the self-study template and the reviewer rubric for each discipline are available from the Policies & Procedures library. The web version is authoritative where they differ.
How do I propose a change?
Anyone may submit a comment or proposal at any time through the comment form. Proposals are logged, acknowledged within 30 days and considered at the next Standards Committee meeting. Substantive proposals go to public comment before adoption.
Will there be a separate standard for online programs?
No. The standards are format-neutral by design. Online delivery must meet the same criteria, with specific attention to 4.2 (observed skills assessment) and 4.4 (assessment integrity).