Healthy Children Project

What Healthy Children Project does

Healthy Children Project, Inc. is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit research and educational institution founded in 1993 that operates under the trade name Center for Breastfeeding with a mission of improving maternal and child health outcomes through education, collaboration, consulting, and research. The organization develops and delivers evidence-based training programs for healthcare professionals, conducts original research that informs international guidelines, and partners with bodies including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Cochrane Collaboration, Karolinska Institutet, and Makerere University. Its flagship offering is the 95-hour Lactation Counselor Training Course (LCTC), which prepares participants for the Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) examination administered by the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP).

The core product surface consists of the LCTC, the online Maternal and Infant Assessment (MINA) course, the Advanced Issues in Lactation Practice course, supplementary professional development modules (distributed through sister company Health Education Associates at healthed.com), an annual International Breastfeeding Conference in Deerfield Beach, Florida, and a newly announced 2026 Breastfeeding Symposium at Sea. The underlying technology is a self-paced online learning management system with video-based instruction, self-check questions, competency verification, and remotely-proctored examination capabilities that enable global access. Domain-specific IP includes the proprietary PRECESS methodology for hospital practice change, a Skin-to-Skin Implementation Algorithm based on Robson's criteria and Widström's Nine Stages, and a 30-year content library spanning case studies, books, and educational DVDs.

The business model is tuition-driven and product-led: revenue is generated from course enrollment fees, conference registrations, sales of books, DVDs, and professional development modules, with certification exam fees flowing to ALPP rather than HCP. Distribution is multi-channel, including direct online self-service registration, in-person training, an annual conference, and partner-mediated outreach (ROSE, HealthConnect ONE, NAPPLSC). The primary customer segment is individual healthcare professionals (nurses, physicians, nutritionists, IBCLCs, WIC staff, doulas, midwives); secondary segments are hospitals pursuing Baby-Friendly designation and academic research institutions. The organization reports training more than 4,000 healthcare professionals annually through the LCTC and has awarded over 150 full and partial scholarships since August 2020 through the Accessing the Milky Way initiative for BIPOC individuals and those serving underserved communities.

Name

Healthy Children Project

Legal name

Healthy Children Project, Inc.

Website

https://centerforbreastfeeding.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Healthy Children Project is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that trains 4,000+ healthcare professionals annually in lactation counseling and breastfeeding support through online and in-person courses, certification preparation, conferences, and research that informs WHO, UNICEF, and Cochrane guidelines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lactation Education and Continuing Professional Training

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Breastfeeding, Lactation & Infant Feeding Support (EDACAMAB)

Keywords

• Lactation counselor training
• Breastfeeding education
• Healthcare professional certification
• Maternal child health
• Continuing medical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Harwich

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition: Fees for Lactation Counselor Training Course, Maternal Infant Assessment course, and Advanced Issues in Lactation Practice. Courses are comprehensive, evidence-based training programs.
2. Certification Exam Fees: CLC examination administered by Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP) - separately administered exam with remote proctoring available.
3. Professional Development Modules: Self-study modules offered through sister company Health Education Associates for continuing education credit (contact hours for RNs, IBCLCs, CLCs, RDs).
4. Books and Materials: Sale of educational materials including Case Studies in Breastfeeding, Maternal and Infant Assessment: A Guide for the Practitioner, pamphlets, tear-off pads, and DVDs.
5. Conference Registration: Annual International Breastfeeding Conference with pre-conference sessions, core conference sessions, and various learning opportunities in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Healthy Children Project provides evidence-based lactation counselor training and certification preparation for healthcare professionals, anchored by the 95-hour Lactation Counselor Training Course (LCTC) that prepares participants for the CLC examination. It complements this core course with specialty courses (Maternal and Infant Assessment, Advanced Issues in Lactation Practice), continuing education modules, an annual international conference, published books and DVDs, and research-driven implementation support for hospitals pursuing Baby-Friendly designation.

Product overview

Healthy Children Project offers education and training products centered on lactation consulting and breastfeeding support. The core product is the Lactation Counselor Training Course (LCTC), which prepares professionals for CLC certification. This is complemented by specialized courses including the Maternal and Infant Assessment (MINA) course, Advanced Issues in Lactation Practice, and various professional development modules. The company also provides annual conferences (International Breastfeeding Conference and Symposium at Sea), educational DVDs, and the Accessing the Milky Way scholarship initiative for BIPOC professionals. Products are delivered through online self-paced formats and in-person training, with accreditation through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lactation Counselor Training Course (LCTC) A comprehensive, evidence-based breastfeeding management course that includes practical skills, theoretical foundations, and competency verification, preparing healthcare professionals for work in hospital and public health settings and for the CLC examination.
• Online Maternal and Infant Assessment for Breastfeeding and Human Lactation (MINA) An online case study course that develops proficiency in assessment and analysis of the breastfeeding dyad, differentiating optimal from sub-optimal conditions. Serves as a prerequisite for the Advanced Issues in Lactation Practice course.
• Advanced Issues in Lactation Practice Course Advanced training preparing lactation professionals for Advanced Lactation Consultant or Advanced Nurse Lactation Consultant certification accredited by ALPP.
• Professional Development Modules Self-study modules offered through sister company Health Education Associates covering breastfeeding research and clinical practice topics including Ethics, International Policies and Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and Best Practices, available for continuing education credit (contact hours for RNs, IBCLCs, CLCs, RDs).
• Annual International Breastfeeding Conference Annual in-person conference held in Deerfield Beach, Florida with pre-conference sessions, core conference sessions, and networking opportunities for physicians, nurses, nutritionists, researchers, public health providers, CLCs, IBCLCs, WIC staff, students, educators, doulas, and midwives.
• 2026 Breastfeeding Symposium at Sea Cruise-based educational symposium scheduled September 21-28, 2026, offering education and networking opportunities for breastfeeding professionals.
• Educational Books and DVDs Educational publications including Case Studies in Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Assessment: A Guide for the Practitioner, plus DVDs (Latch 1,2,3: Troubleshooting Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding: Baby's Choice, Skin-to-Skin in the First Hour After Birth, How to Milk by Hand, How to Feed from a Cup), distributed through Health Education Associates for continuing education credit.
• Accessing the Milky Way Scholarship Program Scholarship initiative launched in August 2020 providing full and partial scholarships for the Lactation Counselor Training Course for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and those working in underserved communities, with textbook donations from Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% of babies receiving early skin-to-skin contact were breast feeding exclusively at 1 month compared with 55% of babies without skin-to-skin contact
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership to increase access to lactation support in communities of color and provide scholarships for the Lactation Counselor Training Course through the Accessing the Milky Way initiative.
• HealthConnect ONEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Community-based doula organization partnering to improve first food equity and support Black, Indigenous, and people of color in accessing lactation education.
• National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color (NAPPLSC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Professional association collaborating to increase representation of lactation professionals of color and support scholarship initiatives for underrepresented communities.
• Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALPP administers the CLC (Certified Lactation Counselor) examination, the premier national certification in lactation management for the United States. Healthy Children Project's LCTC prepares participants for this certification exam.
• Jones & Bartlett LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher donating textbooks (The Pocket Guide to Lactation Management) for Accessing the Milky Way scholarship recipients, eliminating cost barriers for BIPOC individuals pursuing lactation counseling certification.
• Health Education AssociatescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister company offering online professional development modules, books, DVDs, and educational materials for continuing education credit in breastfeeding support.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCP faculty contributed to international guidelines on skin-to-skin contact that informed WHO recommendations. Research findings support global standards for newborn care.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and international breastfeeding guidelines. HCP supports WHO/UNICEF Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
• Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on skin-to-skin contact and Widström's Nine Stages of newborn behavior during the first hour after birth.
• Makerere University (Uganda)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on implementation of skin-to-skin contact guidelines in Uganda, including training and research on improving breastfeeding initiation rates.
• Cochrane CollaborationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCP faculty serve as authors on Cochrane reviews on skin-to-skin contact. The 2025 Cochrane Review included 69 trials with over 7,000 mother-infant pairs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Health Education Associates: Health Education Associates is HCP's identified sister company, distributing continuing education modules, books, and DVDs to lactation professionals; it shares curriculum DNA and is a channel partner rather than a competitor.
• Lamaze International: Lamaze International offers childbirth and breastfeeding educator certification programs to nurses and allied health professionals; it is a broader perinatal peer that overlaps with HCP on healthcare-professional certification and conference revenue.
• Baby-Friendly USA: Baby-Friendly USA is the national authority for the Baby-Friendly Hospital designation that HCP's implementation courses and PRECESS methodology support; it is an ecosystem counterpart rather than a competitor, but it defines HCP's downstream demand pool.
• International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA): ILCA is the international professional association for IBCLCs and a major convener of lactation professionals through conferences, publications, and continuing education — comparable to HCP as a community-anchored education body serving the same healthcare-professional segment.
• Karolinska Institutet (Department of Women's and Children's Health research group): Karolinska is one of HCP's named research collaborators on Widström's 9 Stages and skin-to-skin work; it is an academic peer producing the underlying science that informs HCP's training content.

Direct peers

• Breastfeeding Outlook: Breastfeeding Outlook provides continuing education and exam preparation resources for lactation professionals, including journal-based learning and courses that map directly onto HCP's evidence-based training positioning.
• Lactation Education Resources: Lactation Education Resources (LER) is one of the most established providers of lactation consultant and lactation counselor training for healthcare professionals in the United States, directly competing with HCP for the same CLC and IBCLC exam-prep cohort.
• Evergreen Perinatal Education: Evergreen Perinatal Education offers lactation certification prep and perinatal education courses to nurses and healthcare professionals, overlapping with HCP's LCTC and Baby-Friendly-aligned training portfolio.

Emerging players

• CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association): CAPPA trains postpartum, lactation, and childbirth educators for community-based professionals; it overlaps with HCP's lactation and postpartum training curriculum, particularly for doulas and peer-support audiences.
• InJoy Birth & Parenting: InJoy Birth & Parenting produces maternal and newborn education for hospitals and healthcare professionals, including breastfeeding content; it overlaps with HCP's continuing education and hospital training footprint from a broader childbirth-education angle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ourmilkyway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Healthy Children Project