Draft Professional Standards
A voluntary framework describing the knowledge and skills a postpartum and newborn-care training programme may cover. This is a draft for public review — not a final standard, not a credential.
Each domain below describes the intended scope of a training programme. Sub-topics are illustrative, not exhaustive — programmes may adapt the framework to their context. A training provider is not required to cover every sub-topic to align with AUREA's proposed framework.
Foundations
The role, scope of practice, and professional boundaries of postpartum and newborn-care support. A practitioner understands what the role does and does not include, how it relates to clinical care, and when to refer a family to a qualified health professional. This domain establishes the professional identity of the role and its place within the broader care ecosystem.
Sub-topics: Professional identity and scope of practice · Distinction from clinical roles (midwife, nurse, physician) · When and how to refer · Working within care-team structures · Professional self-care and burnout prevention · Understanding the family's cultural and linguistic context
Open questions for public comment: Should "scope of practice" be defined as a permissive list (what is included) or a restrictive list (what is excluded)? Should the domain explicitly address business practices (invoicing, contracts, client agreements)?
Newborn Care
Safe sleep, feeding support, hygiene, calming, observation, and when to refer. A practitioner understands the physiological and behavioural needs of newborns in the first weeks and months, can support families in building confidence with routine care, and recognises signs that require escalation to a health professional. This domain is the technical core of the role.
Sub-topics: Safe sleep practices (AAP guidelines) · Feeding support: breastfeeding, chestfeeding, formula, and combination feeding · Newborn hygiene: bathing, cord care, diapering · Calming techniques and infant crying · Feeding cues and hunger signs · Weight monitoring and growth concerns · Recognising signs of illness and knowing when to refer · Supporting families of multiples
Open questions: Should this domain require current infant CPR certification? How should cultural feeding practices (e.g., paced bottle feeding, extended breastfeeding norms) be addressed?
Postpartum Recovery
Physical recovery, emotional well-being, and recognising warning signs. A practitioner understands the physiological recovery process following birth — including postpartum bleeding, healing, hormonal changes, and pain management — and can provide informed, non-clinical support. Emotional well-being of the new parent is a core part of this domain, including recognising signs of postpartum mood disorders.
Sub-topics: Physical postpartum recovery (vaginal and caesarean) · Postpartum bleeding and wound care · Hormonal changes and their emotional effects · Perineal and pelvic-floor awareness · Postpartum nutrition and hydration · Rest and sleep recovery · Baby blues vs. postpartum depression vs. postpartum psychosis — recognition and referral · Supporting parents recovering from birth trauma · Physical activity and return to movement
Open questions: Should providers be required to screen for postpartum mood disorders using a validated tool (e.g., Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), or is that outside the scope of a non-clinical role?
Family & Home
Household support, sibling care, and culturally responsive care. A practitioner supports the family unit — not only the newborn — during the postpartum period. This includes helping families establish sustainable routines, supporting partner and sibling adjustment, and providing care that is responsive to cultural practices, beliefs, and family structures. The practitioner works in the family's home with respect for the family's autonomy and household norms.
Sub-topics: Household and family routine support · Supporting partner or co-parent adjustment · Sibling adjustment and sibling care guidance · Supporting solo parents and chosen family structures · Cultural and linguistic responsiveness · Supporting families from immigrant and refugee backgrounds · LGBTQ+-inclusive family support ·月子 traditions and culturally specific postpartum practices
Open questions: Should the framework explicitly address the practitioner's own cultural competency and self-awareness, rather than only listing cultural topics to cover?
Communication
Consent, boundaries, documentation, and working with other caregivers. A practitioner communicates clearly, respectfully, and professionally — with the family, with other caregivers, and within care-team settings. This domain covers informed consent practices, professional boundaries, accurate and timely documentation, and the responsible handling of family information. It also addresses difficult conversations and conflict de-escalation.
Sub-topics: Informed consent and ongoing consent · Professional boundaries and scope limitations · Clear, respectful communication with families · Documentation: notes, reports, handover communications · Working with other caregivers: nurses, lactation consultants, physicians · Receiving and giving feedback · Navigating cultural and generational communication differences · Confidentiality and information handling
Open questions: What is the minimum documentation standard expected? Should practitioners maintain a client record system, and what are the data-protection expectations?
Safety & Infection Control
Hygiene, emergencies, and basic first-response awareness. A practitioner maintains a safe environment for the newborn and family, understands basic infection-control practices, and can respond appropriately in an emergency situation — including knowing when to call emergency services and how to support the family during a crisis. This domain is distinct from clinical emergency care; it covers awareness and appropriate escalation, not diagnosis or treatment.
Sub-topics: Hand hygiene and standard precautions · Safe handling and positioning of newborns · Home safety assessment basics · Infant emergency awareness (not clinical intervention) · Choking response and basic first awareness · When to call 911 / emergency services · Supporting a family during a medical emergency · Pet safety in the home environment
Open questions: Should infant CPR be a required component of this domain? Should the framework include a module on home fire safety and safe sleep environment setup?
Ethics
Confidentiality, respect, equity, and avoidance of harm. A practitioner upholds the ethical principles of the profession: doing no harm, respecting family autonomy, maintaining confidentiality, and providing equitable care regardless of the family's background, identity, or circumstances. This domain also covers the ethical management of dual relationships, gifts and financial arrangements, and the responsible use of social media and professional representation.
Sub-topics: Non-maleficence: doing no harm · Family autonomy and informed decision-making · Confidentiality and data handling · Equity, anti-discrimination, and anti-racist practice · Managing dual relationships and conflicts of interest · Financial transparency with families · Professional representation on social media · Mandatory reporting obligations · Ending the professional relationship ethically
Open questions: Should the framework include a section on practitioners' ethical obligations regarding their own mental health and fitness to practice?
Assessment
How understanding is evaluated, including any practical demonstration. A training programme that aligns with the proposed AUREA framework should assess whether a participant has understood the knowledge and developed the skills described in each domain. Assessment may take multiple forms — written, oral, or practical demonstration. This domain does not prescribe a specific assessment format; it describes the expectations for what a credible assessment process should include.
Sub-topics: Knowledge assessment methods · Practical skills demonstration · Case-based or scenario-based assessment · Assessment of cultural responsiveness · Grading, pass/fail, and remediation · Reasonable adjustments and accessibility · Assessor qualification and independence requirements
Open questions: Should the framework require a minimum percentage of assessment to be practical/demonstration-based, rather than purely written? How should competency in communication skills be assessed?
Continuing Education
Expectations for staying current after a course is completed. A professional practitioner continues learning after initial training — keeping up with new evidence, changing guidelines, and evolving best practice. This domain describes the expectations for continuing education and professional development that apply after a programme is completed. It does not yet prescribe a specific renewal cycle or number of hours; those decisions are part of the proposed credentialing framework, not the standards framework.
Sub-topics: Keeping knowledge current (AAP guidelines, WHO recommendations, emerging research) · Required vs. recommended continuing education hours · Recognised continuing education sources · Professional supervision and peer reflection · Renewing or updating certification · When to re-skill or seek additional training
Open questions: Should the framework specify a minimum number of continuing education hours per year for those holding a future AUREA credential? Should infant CPR certification be a standing annual requirement?
Public Record
How completion may be reflected in a proposed, verifiable public record. A training provider that aligns with the proposed AUREA framework may record a participant's completion in the proposed AUREA public registry. This domain describes how the registry is intended to work, what information is recorded, and how the record can be verified independently by families, employers, or other parties. This domain is a proposal, not an active system — the registry is under development.
Sub-topics: The proposed AUREA registry: what it is and what it is not · What information a record contains · How a record can be verified (public lookup, not login required) · How records are updated: suspension, revocation, expiry · Data minimisation: what is not recorded · Privacy and GDPR/CCPA considerations · The difference between a completion record and a professional credential
Open questions: Should records include the programme duration (hours)? Should employers or regulators be able to request bulk verification, and if so, under what conditions?
AUREA does not currently issue professional certifications or credentials. This website demonstrates a proposed public registry for training completion records and possible future professional credentials.
These draft standards describe what a training programme may cover. A future AUREA professional credential, if formally adopted, would be a separate decision based on published governance, assessment, ethics, and continuing-education requirements.
Comment on these draft standards
Public comment is open through the Founding Community. Each domain has open questions listed above — your perspective helps shape what the final framework looks like.