If the IBCLC was originally viewed as a precursor to an independent,
licensed allied health professional working with breastfeeding, then it is
up to us, acting in unity through an organization, to effect legislative
change so that states or countries enact laws regulating the practice of
IBCLCs.  Licensing would be a strong argument for maintaining one's
credential, and it would help raise the profile of the IBCLC 

The advantage is that all IBCLCs have taken an equivalent exam.  This would
set the process apart from what happened a few decades back when midwifery
laws were updated in many parts of the US.  Each state had its own peculiar
version of the suppression, and the survival, of midwifery.  Each state had
to invent the wheel that would fit its version.  All IBCLCs have jumped
through the same flaming hoops in order to get their credential, and this is
the real strength of the credential.

With IBCLCs, the credential is the common denominator, and this should
expedite the process.
What is needed is an active group of people in each state that can take on
the job of educating legislators about the need for public regulation of the
field.  The goal is the same as it is for creating the IBCLC: protecting the
public, by giving them a guarantee that if they are dealing with an IBCLC,
the person has demonstrated adequate knowledge on an exam administered by a
body without financial interest in whatever training program(s) the
candidate used to prepare herself for the exam.  The exam procedure is
already well established and exams are held on the same day all over the
world.  Local and national governments would not need to develop expensive
and cumbersome examination systems at their own expense.  They can simply
decide that passing the IBLCE exam is the criterion they will use to
determine whether a candidate has the knowledge necessary to perform as an
IBCLC.  They may have other requirements as well, that aren't touched on in
the exam.  Where I live we can't have certain kinds of criminal records if
we want to work as midwives, and we can only get licensed for three years at
a time after the age of 75 (seriously).

This is the crucial difference between IBCLCs and the other lactation titles
circulating in the US.  Taking a course and then getting a piece of paper
saying you passed, or whatever, from the organization or entity that runs
the course does not carry the same weight, in my book.

Since an IBCLC anywhere in the world has demonstrated the same adequacy of
knowledge, it would be easier to move from country to country and keep
practicing than it is in most other health professions.  Since there are
national differences in education and in scope of practice for the various
professions, there is no automatic reciprocity between countries.  Some
alliances of countries have agreed on such reciprocity.  In the EU, health
professionals can move freely from country to country and continue to
practice as long as they hold a valid license from a country in the Union.
The Nordic countries have long had mutual reciprocity of licensing as well.
I don't know what the situation is for people who get a license in one US
state and then move to another state.  But since the criteria for getting an
IBCLC are the same the world over, it would be easy to argue for interstate
reciprocity there too.

I understand there is legislation pending in at least one state legislature
this year, to license IBCLCs.  The people working on that initiative will
have valuable experience for the next group attempting such a thing.  The
natural organization to get something like this going, is your local ILCA
affiliate.  Since it would be in IBLCE's own financial interest to get such
a system going, they must not be involved as activists.  I hope the reason
for this is clear.

None of this makes the problematic wording in IBCLE's current Scope of
Practice any better, but it is just barely possible that a state licensing
body would draw up a Scope of Practice that of course would supersede
IBLCE's.  If IBLCE itself just eliminated the word 'contradict' I for one
could breathe easier.

For those of you who have observed that passing the IBLCE exam does not
guarantee excellence in practice, and who would argue that licensure is not
a good enough guarantee to the public, I remind you that passing the nursing
or medical boards, or the state bar exam, does not guarantee excellence
either.  But it's the best we can do in the real world we live in.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway
Where the number of IBCLCs (less than a dozen) and their backgrounds (all
midwives, health visitors or neonatal nurses) make such legislation
superfluous, but there are plenty of countries where there are enough IBCLCs
to constitute an interest group if they just get organized!!

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
Mail all commands to [log in to unmask]
To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or [log in to unmask])
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or ([log in to unmask])
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]