Welcome to the Accreditation and Approval Review Committee (AARC) on Education in Human Lactation and Breastfeeding website. AARC is a member of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) for accreditation of educational programs. AARC is jointly sponsored by the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) and the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE).

CAAHEP, ILCA, and IBLCE cooperate to establish, maintain and promote appropriate standards of quality for educational programs in Lactation and Breastfeeding and to provide recognition for educational programs that meet or exceed the minimum standards.

Our Mission

AARC’s mission is to recognize educational programs that meet the minimum standards of quality to prepare individuals to enter the lactation consultant profession.

AARC Recognition

AARC recognition is a formal, non-governmental, peer-review process of voluntary self evaluation. The integrity and good faith of the program, its administration, faculty, and students are essential to the evaluative process. AARC honors a diversity of educational models such as distance education, self-paced programs, programs within large and small institutions, college-based programs and those that are not-for-profit and for-profit. Programs recognized by AARC are the leaders in the field of lactation education. Students are assured that these programs cover essential topics and skills, have a qualified faculty, and portray themselves honestly in their advertising.

AARC either provides Approval of an individual course or formulates recommendations to CAAHEP for Accreditation of an academic program. Both distinctions provide a reliable indicator of educational quality to employers, insurers, counselors, educators, governmental officials, and the public, based on adherence to established criteria and standards of the profession.