National Association for Regulatory Administration

What National Association for Regulatory Administration does

National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA), founded in 1976 and headquartered in Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a private nonprofit professional membership association serving regulatory professionals in the human care licensing field across the United States, Canada, Native nations, and territories. The organization operates as the premier credentialing body for this niche, offering the National Regulatory Professional Credential (NRPC), the NARA Licensing Curriculum, recurring Child Care Licensing Studies (2014, 2017, 2023), and Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards developed in partnership with Generations United and the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law. Member offerings also include monthly webinars (priced at $25 member / $40 non-member), self-paced online courses and exams ($125 / $250), the Annual Licensing Seminar drawing 300+ attendees, Exchange Magazine with 2,800+ archived articles, and a Career Center job board.

NARA's revenue mechanics are built around recurring subscriptions: individual memberships at $125 (standard) and $55 (retiree/student), and five organizational tiers ranging from $1,900 (Level 1, up to 20 individuals) to $3,800+ (Level 5, more than 45 individuals at $80 per additional person). Credential renewals ($250 member / $350 non-member) and webinar/course sales supplement dues. The organization runs on a lean operational footprint of 1–10 employees and outsources core technology to MemberClicks (membership and learning management) and Shopify (NARA Digital Emporium), with no proprietary AI, mobile apps, or APIs. Governance is handled through a Board of Directors and committees spanning Finance & Asset Management, Professional Development, IDEA, Adult Care, Child Welfare, and Child Care, positioning NARA as a standards-influencing convener for state regulators, licensed care providers, and policy advocates rather than a technology vendor.

Name

National Association for Regulatory Administration

Legal name

National Association for Regulatory Administration

Website

https://naralicensing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NARA is a nonprofit professional membership association, founded in 1976, that credentials and trains regulatory professionals in human care licensing across the U.S. and Canada through its NRPC program, webinars, publications, and an Annual Licensing Seminar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fredericksburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Fees: Annual membership fees charged to individual professionals in the human care licensing field, including standard and retiree/student tiers.
2. Organization Membership Fees: Tiered organizational membership pricing based on number of individuals covered, ranging from Level 1 (up to 20 individuals) to Level 5 (more than 45 individuals).
3. Webinar Revenue: Webinar recordings and live sessions available for purchase, with member and non-member pricing. Webinars can count toward NRP Credential educational hours.
4. Professional Development Courses and Credentialing: Online courses, comprehensive exams, and credential renewal fees for the National Regulatory Professional Credential (NRPC).
5. Publications and Books: Sale of publications including the NARA Licensing Curriculum and annual books/publications provided free to members.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NARA is a nonprofit professional membership association that provides education, training, and credentialing services to regulatory professionals working in human care licensing, including child care, adult care, and foster care. Its core paid offerings are tiered individual and organizational memberships, the National Regulatory Professional Credential (NRPC) program with online courses and a comprehensive exam, monthly webinars, the NARA Licensing Curriculum, the Annual Licensing Seminar, model standards such as the Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards, publications, and a Career Center job board.

Product overview

NARA operates as a professional membership organization providing a unified platform of educational and professional development resources for human care licensing and regulatory professionals. The core offerings include the NARA Learning Center for online courses, the National Regulatory Professional Credential (NRPC) for certification, monthly Webinars for continuing education, the NARA Licensing Curriculum as foundational training materials, and the Annual Licensing Seminar as the premier annual conference. Supporting offerings include a Career Center job board, the NARA Digital Emporium e-commerce store, Model Foster Care Standards for implementation guidance, and various Publications including white papers and research studies. The organization also provides committee-based governance, strategic partnerships, and member resources spanning child welfare, adult care, and environmental health domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Standard annual individual membership in NARA priced at $125 per year, granting the holder member benefits, access to resources, webinars at the member rate, and inclusion in the professional community. Open to any individual in the human care licensing field or aligned with NARA's mission.
• Retiree and Student Membership Discounted annual membership priced at $55 per year for retirees of regulatory agencies or students enrolled in a related field, providing member benefits at a reduced rate.
• Organizational Membership Tiered organizational membership allowing agencies and provider organizations to enroll multiple individuals under a single annual subscription. Levels range from $1,900 (Level 1, up to 20 individuals) to $3,800 base plus $80 per additional person (Level 5, more than 45 individuals), with each tier including one or two Leadership memberships and, in some tiers, an administrative support staff membership.
• National Regulatory Professional Credential (NRPC) Program Professional certification program recognizing the competencies required of professionals in the human care licensing field. Includes four online courses ($125 member / $250 non-member), the NARA Comprehensive Exam ($125 member / $250 non-member), and annual credential renewal ($250 member / $350 non-member), advancing consumer protection through prevention.
• NARA Online Professional Development Courses Four self-paced online courses supporting NRPC requirements and standalone professional development for licensing and regulatory professionals, priced at $125 per course for members and $250 per course for non-members.
• NARA Licensing Curriculum Foundational education curriculum containing materials on licensing fundamentals aimed at line staff, managers, provider support personnel, and policy development professionals in human care licensing.
• NARA Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards First-of-its-kind comprehensive standards document for licensing family foster homes, developed jointly with Generations United and the ABA Center on Children and the Law to give jurisdictions a national model for foster home licensing.
• NARA Publications (Child Care Licensing Studies, Quality Indicators White Paper, and related research) Research publications covering child care licensing, regulatory administration, and quality indicators, including the recurring Child Care Licensing Studies (2014, 2017, 2023) and the Quality Indicators White Paper, sold and distributed to members and the wider field.
• NARA Digital Emporium

Quantifiable outcome

• The Annual Licensing Seminar is a two-and-a-half-day event which draws more than 300 members of the human care licensing community from across North America

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Workforce Registry Alliance (NWRA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2024NARA partners with NWRA to host the joint Licensing Seminar and Leadership Symposium, combining their respective expertise in licensing regulation and workforce registry development.
• Exchange PressminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNARA has teamed up with Exchange Press to provide Exchange Magazine and Exchange Live digital subscription to members at special discounted rates. Exchange Live includes free access to over 2,800 archived articles.
• Generations UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNARA collaborated with Generations United to develop the Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive standards document.
• American Bar Association Center on Children and the LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNARA partnered with the ABA Center on Children and the Law to develop the Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards, providing legal expertise and child welfare policy knowledge.
• Annie E. Casey FoundationminorOthersThe Annie E. Casey Foundation provided support for the development of the Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards package.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Public Human Services Association (APHSA): APHSA is a nonprofit membership organization representing state and local human services agencies, including those overseeing child welfare, child care licensing, and adult care regulation—directly the agencies whose staff NARA serves as members.
• Child Care Aware of America: Child Care Aware of America is a national nonprofit that works to improve access to affordable, high-quality child care and serves as a hub for child care resource and referral agencies. It shares NARA's child care licensing policy space and engages overlapping state-level regulatory stakeholders.
• National Foster Parent Association: NFPA is a national nonprofit representing foster parents and advocating for foster care policy reform. It is a direct peer in the foster care licensing ecosystem where NARA's Model Foster Home Licensing Standards operate.
• National Child Care Association: NCCA is a national trade association representing licensed child care providers and the small business owners who operate child care programs. It directly overlaps NARA's child care licensing regulatory audience, particularly on the provider-side segment NARA serves.
• National Children's Alliance: National Children's Alliance accredits Children's Advocacy Centers and works on child welfare standards, policy, and training. It directly parallels NARA's child welfare standards and credentialing activities in adjacent regulatory domains.
• Council on Accreditation (COA): COA is an international accrediting body for human services programs including child welfare, behavioral health, and adult care. It is directly comparable to NARA's standards-setting role and serves many of the same provider organizations.

Broad incumbents

• American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL): AHCA/NCAL is the largest national association representing long-term and post-acute care providers, including assisted living. It overlaps with NARA's adult care licensing audience at the provider and regulator level.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): NAEYC is a large professional membership organization focused on early childhood education. While broader in scope than NARA, it operates the same association-led GTM model with accreditation, publications, and an annual conference serving overlapping child care and licensing professionals.
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW): NASW is a large professional membership association for social workers, with credentials, CEUs, and chapter-based governance. While broader than NARA, it shares the same association-led GTM and overlapping member audiences in child welfare and human services regulatory roles.

Emerging players

• Generations United: Generations United is a national membership organization focused on intergenerational programs and grandfamily/kinship care. NARA is an active partner on the Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards, making Generations United both a collaborator and a peer in the foster care standards-setting space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/naralicensing
• Facebookfacebook.com/naralicensing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-for-regulatory-administration-nara-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Association for Regulatory Administration