See the full text of the “Licensed Certified Professional Midwifery Practice Act” (225 ILCS64/ on the Illinois General Assembly website by clicking here.

See the full text of the Illinois “Rules and Licensed Certified Professional Midwife Practice Act” (225 ILCS64/ on the Illinois General Assembly website by clicking here.CPM Rules and Regulations  

https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/068/06801345sections.html

Certified Professional Midwives can begin the Illinois CPM licensure application process in January 2025 using the new Illinois CORE application and licensing portal. 

Notable features of the licensing portal 

• Must set up a CORE account first before starting application (https://idfpr.illinois.gov/core)
• All applications should be filled and submitted online. 
• You will be able to track each step of your application status in the portal. 
• All communications and notifications regarding application and licensure will come via email, so be sure to register with a reliable email ID 
• For a short period there will be equity exemptions made for people to submit paper applications if online submission is not possible. 
• Payments will be made online. 
• For a short period there will be equity exemptions made for people to send in a paper check if online payment is not possible. 

• All CEUs and licensing documentation to complete your application can be uploaded digitally to the system 
• If your application or documentation is not complete, you will not be able to submit your application. 
• Drafts of your application will be saved if you start the application and are waiting on documents that are not ready (i.e. CPR certification) 
• Once application is complete and submitted, processing will take at least four weeks
• As more CPM applications get processed, we can look on the system to see a more accurate average licensing processing time 
• On licenses there will be a QR code that people can scan to see whether or not professional is in good standing

Links: 

https://idfpr.illinois.gov/core 

https://idfpr.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idfpr/core/core-application-process.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdeLoknpwz4&feature=youtu.be

Because licensed midwifery is “direct-entry,” you do not have to be a nurse, other healthcare provider, or have a degree to start midwifery school.

In order to be eligible to be enrolled in a MEAC approved school, students must have a high school diploma (or equivalency certificate), college level English, college level mathematics, and be at least 21 years old.

All MEAC approved schools are at least two years in duration. They vary in the numbers of credits, courses offered, and if the school is online or in person. Note that all Florida approved schools must be at least three years.

There are currently no MEAC accredited schools in IL. The only MEAC school in the Midwest is Southwest Tech in Wisconsin. Many schools do offer distance learning for some portions of the coursework.

Learn more about Southwest Tech here:
swtc.edu/academics/programs/health-occupations/midwife

You can find a complete list of MEAC schools here:
meacschools.org/midwifery-schools/

Most CPMs own or work in private home or birth center based practices throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Providing continuous care for women throughout their childbearing cycle, CPMs generally carry a relatively low client load (averaging 3-6 births per month) which allows for more personalized and comprehensive care than typical obstetrical practices. The scope of practice of the CPM is derived from the NARM Job Analysis, state laws and regulations, and individual practice guidelines developed by each midwife according to her skills and knowledge.

The guiding principles of the practice of CPMs are to work with their clients to promote a healthy pregnancy and provide education to help them make informed decisions about their own care. In partnership with their clients CPMs carefully monitor the progress of the pregnancy, labor, birth, newborn, and postpartum period. They recommend appropriate management if complications arise, collaborating with other healthcare providers when necessary. The key elements of this education, monitoring, and decision making process are based on evidence-based practice which includes thoughtful integration of the best available evidence, coupled with clinical expertise, and the client’s values and needs. As such it enables midwives and their clients to address healthcare questions with an evaluative and qualitative approach. Evidence based decisions flow from a process that includes the assessment of current and past research, clinical expertise, and other information resources in order to determine the best course of care. Evidence-based practice and informed consent refers to the rights of healthcare consumers to be fully informed about testing or treatment options so that they can then make an educated choice among those options.

CPMs can practice in community birth settings, like homes and birth centers and provide prenatal care only to low-risk people in office settings.

All midwives who apply for licensure beginning one year after rules are adopted will be required to have MEAC education completed, in addition to receiving their CPM through NARM.

For the one-year period after rules are complete only, CPMs who do NOT have MEAC education will also be able to apply, under the following conditions:

They will need to have held their CPM for at least 3 years at the time of application,

They will need to have completed the NARM Bridge Certificate at the time of application.

We recommend all midwifery students explore options for enrolling in a MEAC school. Students who are near the end of their apprenticeship/preparing to sit the NARM exam could consider using the CPM Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP) to MEAC bridge programs offered by some schools.

For current CPMs, there are several MEAC schools offering a program that allows current CPMs to receive credit for their CPM certification, and take a shorter course of study without repeating the entire apprenticeship/clinical process.

Note there are no MEAC schools in IL. The only MEAC school in the Midwest is Southwest Tech in Wisconsin.

You can find a complete list of MEAC schools here: https://www.meacschools.org/midwifery-schools/compare/
HB 3401

In 2021 Illinois became the 37th State to licensure Certified Professional Midwives via House Bill 3401!

HB 3401 creates a path toward certification for midwives by allowing licensed professional midwives to attend out-of-hospital births. The proposal passed the Illinois legislature after the state’s main doctor’s organization, the Illinois State Medical Society, lifted its opposition, citing provisions that protect doctors and medical facilities from liability.

The bill as written became statute when the governor signed it on Dec. 14, 2021. There is not a way to make changes or amendments to it at this time. To make changes in the future would require filing another bill, or, waiting until the sunset review (for this bill, the next will be in 2027) when legislators have the opportunity to review, revise, and renew practice acts. The rules process cannot be used to go against or remove what is written in statute/law.

This law specifically exempts some traditional midwives from licensure. We cannot advise you on whether or not a specific midwife or circumstances would be exempted.

Section 25; Exemptions
(b) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit or require licensing under this Act with regard to:
(1) a traditional birth attendant practicing midwifery without a license if the traditional birth attendant has cultural, indigenous, or religious traditions that have historically included the attendance of traditional birth attendants at births and that birth attendant serves only the women and families in that distinct cultural, indigenous, or religious group;

Prior to this law, the ONLY midwives legally allowed to attend any birth, by statute, by court ruling, and by IDFPR regulation, were CNMs. ALL other midwives were at risk of cease and desist orders and fines, and prosecution.