Purpose

The purpose the Education Council is to ensure that all childbearing women have access to Lamaze education through developing, implementing, and evaluating:

• High quality evidenced-based training for childbirth educators.
• High quality evidenced-based continuing education for childbirth educators and other health care professionals.
• High quality evidence-based consumer education.

The composition of the Council is based upon supporting these primary functions. All Council policy decisions must be consistent with policies, budgetary and fiscal considerations established by the Board of Directors, and the philosophy, mission, and goals of Lamaze International.

Governing Body Composition

The Education Council is composed of five voting members and serves as the leadership and decision-making body of the Education Council. The President of the Lamaze International Board of Directors appoints the Chair of the Education Council.

Members of the Education Council include the Chairs of the Continuing Education Committee, Parent Education Committee, Training and Resources Committee Chair, and an at-large LCCE educator. The Committee Chair appointments are proposed by the Chair of the Council and approved by the President of Lamaze International.

The Certification Council Governing Body Chair will serve as an ex-officio, non-voting liaison to the Education Council Governing Body.

The Nurse Planner ensures that all Lamaze continuing education activities meet the requirements of the California Board of Registered Nursing (CABRN). This role coordinates consistency of processes and standards across Lamaze continuing education offerings.

Term

Education Council Governing Body members are appointed for a three-year term with a limit of two consecutive terms. Terms are based on the calendar year.

Position Description: Education Council Chair

Qualifications

• Lamaze member and LCCE, FACCE preferred, who supports the Lamaze mission and fundamentals
• Expertise in childbirth education with a minimum of three years’ experience
• Experience as an Education Council committee chair or member, preferred.
• Ability to lead and direct small groups

Responsibilities

• Supervise and direct the affairs of the Education Council and its committees in accordance with the established bylaws and policies
• Attend and preside at Education Council meetings; prepare agendas and approve minutes in collaboration with the Council staff liaison
• Appoint committee chairs with the approval of the President; appoint Education Council liaisons to other committees as needed
• Review the annual budget for Education Council programs developed in collaboration with the staff liaison, present funding requests to the Lamaze Board of Directors
• Represent the Education Council on all matters related to education
• Prepare the next chair for the responsibilities of the position
• Maintain open communications with Lamaze Program Directors and Trainers regarding childbirth educator training and resources matters

Position Description: Parent Education Committee Chair

Qualifications

• Lamaze member and LCCE educator, FACCE preferred, who supports the Lamaze mission and fundamentals
• Expertise in childbirth education with a minimum of three years’ experience
• Experience with alternative education modalities (e.g., teaching online courses or webinars), preferred.
• Ability to lead and direct small groups

Responsibilities

• Identify, develop, or review, and evaluate educational content and resources for parents; update and expand current resources and web content
• Appoint task force lead and members in collaboration with the Education Council Chair for content development/updates of parent education modules, and oversee project development, implementation, and evaluation

Position Description: Training and Resources Committee Chair

Qualifications

• Lamaze member and LCCE, FACCE preferred, who supports the Lamaze mission and fundamentals
• Experience in childbirth education and familiarity with Lamaze training materials
• Ability to lead small groups and collaborate across committees

Responsibilities

• Provide learning support and develop materials for trainees preparing for the Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) exam, such as the Lamaze Educator Learning Guide
• Collaborate with the Education Council Chair and Continuing Education Committee Chair to ensure all training materials remain current, evidence-based, and aligned with Lamaze competencies.
• Identify opportunities for new or updated learning tools to strengthen educator preparation and support

Position Description: LCCE Member At-Large

Qualifications

• Lamaze member and LCCE educator who supports the Lamaze mission and fundamentals
• New to the field of childbirth education with at least one year’s experience

Responsibilities

• Represent the needs of new Lamaze educators related to training, resources, and continuing education to help ensure that Lamaze education offerings are relevant to childbirth educators and responsive to consumer needs, as well as the needs of interested professionals
• Serve as a resource to the Education Council and Committee Chairs for input and feedback on projects

January 2013...Update 12.5.25

 

 

The Continuing Education Committee of the Education Council is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating high-quality evidenced-based continuing education for childbirth educators, nurses and other health care professionals in order to ensure that all childbearing women have access to education that promotes safe and satisfying birth practices.

Continuing Education Chair

The Continuing Education Chair is appointed for a three-year term with a limit of two consecutive terms. Terms are based on the calendar year.

Qualifications

• Lamaze member and LCCE educator, FACCE preferred, who supports the Lamaze mission and fundamentals.
• Expertise in childbirth education with a minimum of three years’ experience.
• Ability to lead and direct small groups.
• Competence in using research evidence to direct best practices.
• Licensed RN with either a baccalaureate (or higher) degree in nursing; familiarity with planning education for continuing nursing education credit preferred.
• Experience with alternative education modalities (e.g. teaching online courses or webinars) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Appoint task force lead and members in collaboration with the Education Council Chair for content development/updates of education activities.
• Maintain oversight of Lamaze Continuing Education policies and ensure that educational activities are developed in accordance with policies and educational best practices.
• Oversee project development, implementation and evaluation.
• Provide input on evidence-based content development for the annual conference.

Lamaze International Education Development

Lamaze International provides continuing education and professional development opportunities for childbirth educators, nurses and other maternal/child health professionals seeking quality education that is evidence-based, relevant and convenient.

In order to provide high-quality, evidence-based continuing education for childbirth educators and other health care professionals, Lamaze International holds itself to rigorous standards and processes for developing continuing education and maintains status as an approved provider of continuing nursing education through the California Board of Registered Nursing (CABRN).

Lamaze International’s continuing education development process, detailed below, meets and exceeds the guidelines for the development of educational activities set by CABRN. Lamaze International ensures that all recordkeeping practices also meet the guidelines set by CABRN.

Continuing Education Development Process

The Lamaze International Continuing Education Chair is responsible for coordinating continuing education needs assessments and oversees the planning, implementation and evaluation of continuing education activities that may be used to help perinatal professionals fulfill their own goals for improvement in practice and professional education. Volunteers assisting in the development of continuing education activities receive an orientation to Lamaze requirements and are mentored and directed by the Continuing Education Chair.

Lamaze International may also award Lamaze Contact Hours for educational activities provided by other organizations that provide continuing education for childbirth educators and other perinatal professionals. Applicants must demonstrate that activities fulfill the minimum requirements detailed in the Continuing Education Development Process.

Each educational activity should be developed and implemented according to effective educational design principles and documented through the Lamaze Contact Hours Application:

• Identify target audience and a need for the educational activity: a gap in knowledge/skills/practice.
• Develop activity with input from a minimum of two subject matter experts.
• Establish desired learning outcome: a statement that describes the knowledge or skills participants should acquire by the end of the activity.
• Address at least one of the Competency Statements for LCCE Educators. These statements identify the competencies that are essential for practice as a childbirth educator and reflect the specialized knowledge of a childbirth educator certified by Lamaze International.
• Utilize dynamic and interactive methods to present educational content.
• Reference current (published within the last 5 years), evidence-based information.
• Identify qualifications and minimum requirements for presenters to ensure that any presenters are well-qualified and prepared to present educational content.
• Present content free from conflict of interest and/or bias. Disclose any potential conflicts of interest and/or bias to learners prior to the activity.
• Evaluate effectiveness of educational activity and provide adequate feedback to learners.

Upon development, each activity is assigned an activity number and is valid for a three-year (3) period from the date of approval. At that time, the activity will be reevaluated and updated, if necessary. In cases where there are significant updates to research, evidence, or information used in the content of the educational activity before the activity’s expiration date, the activity should be evaluated and updated. In cases where translation is necessary, allowances should be made to accommodate the additional time necessary to deliver content, but the number of contact hours offered must remain the same.   

Product-specific courses which appear to be sales pitches or product endorsements will not receive approval. This distinction is important because Lamaze does not endorse specific manufacturer’s products. Lamaze endorses competence in given areas of expertise. 

Evaluation Process

The Continuing Education Chair will regularly assess the effectiveness of the continuing education activities and will identify strategies to work toward targeted goals with the assistance of the Education Council Chair and representatives from relevant activity planning task forces. Evaluation data will be used to confirm, expand, or change the development of Lamaze continuing education. The Continuing Education Chair will evaluate progress toward established goals and will revise or establish new goals as necessary.

Intellectual Property

All Lamaze continuing education activity content development will be managed in accordance with the Intellectual Property Policy. Any content or materials contributed by Lamaze members during volunteer service to Lamaze constitute a “work made for hire” under United States copyright law. Lamaze will be the exclusive owner of all copyright, trademark and proprietary rights to the materials.  Please refer to the policy for additional information.

All Lamaze continuing education activities are to be developed and provided under the purview of Lamaze International. Activity presenters and hosting facilities are expected to adhere strictly to Lamaze International Continuing Education and Accreditation Policies and Procedures (for Lamaze Childbirth Educator Programs that offer Lamaze Childbirth Educator Seminars). All continuing education activity files are maintained by the Lamaze International Administrative Office in order to ensure accurate record-keeping and administration of contact hours.

Recordkeeping

The Administrative Office will maintain a digital file for each activity planned for continuing education for a minimum of seven (7) years. Files will contain the original planning material, copies of evaluations, and contact hour certificates issued for each participant.