The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides a national credentialing program in Breastfeeding and Human Lactation for nurses, physicians, dietitians, WIC personnel, peer counselors, independent lactation counselors and others.

Founded in 1999, ALPP is dedicated to improving the foundation of breastfeeding comprehension and understanding throughout the United States by providing certificates of added qualification in breastfeeding. The ALPP credentialed programs, including the CLC, ANLC, and ALC, are approved by the following: The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE), The American College of Nurse Midwives, the Accreditation and Approval Review Committee (AARC) on Education in Human Lactation and Breastfeeding, and Lamaze International. The CLC, ANLC and ALC are all accredited as nursing skills competency programs through the ANCC.

ALPP took over the administration of exam portion of the CLC (Certified Lactation Counselor) exam from the Healthy Children Project, who had conducted the CLC exam for more than 10,000 participants.

ALPP develops and administers the CLC examination to assess knowledge and skills that underlie competent practice in lactation counseling. The development, administration and scoring of the CLC exam promotes competency in lactation management, skills, and knowledge and thereby fulfills the mission of ALPP.

The purpose of the CLC exam is to protect the public by identifying individuals who are competent in lactation management skills and knowledge. By extension, the CLC exam seeks to promote, protect and support breastfeeding for individuals and society at large.

To find out more information about a research based, evidence based course that would allow you to sit for the CLC exam, please visit the Healthy Children Project web site at www.healthychildren.cc and click on the middle tab called "Lactation Counselor Training."

An executive summary of our 2005 Role delination study is available. Click here for the pdf version. Statistics from the Fall 2009- Spring 2010 examination are available here.