NICU Doula Academy® — Application for Certification

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Certified NICU Doula. This 10-week certification program is designed for doulas, nurses, newborn care specialists, and professionals who are passionate about providing trauma-informed, evidence-based, and collaborative care to NICU families.

This application contains 17 questions and takes approximately 10–15 minutes to complete. Please read each question carefully and answer honestly — there are no wrong answers, and every application is reviewed personally.

A few things to know before you begin:
✓ If you would like to be considered for need-based scholarship support, those questions are included within this application. There is no separate scholarship form.

✓ You will be asked about your professional background, your reasons for pursuing this work, and your comfort with the program format and investment.
✓ Details about the program, tuition, and FAQs are available here before you apply: https://www.thenicutranslator.com/nicu-doula-academy

Full Name *

Pronouns (optional):

Email *

Phone *

Address

Street Address

City

State

Country

Postal Code

Instagram Handle (if applicable):

Question 1.

What best describes your current role? (Select all that apply) *

Other

Question 2.

How many years of experience do you have in birth, postpartum, or NICU support — or working with families in a professional capacity? *

Question 3.

What certifications or trainings have you completed, if any?

Question 4.

What draws you to NICU doula work specifically? *

Question 5.

How do you currently support NICU families — or how do you envision doing so once you're certified? *

Question 6.

Have you had any personal experience with the NICU — as a parent, family member, or care provider? *

Question 7.

NICU Doula Academy is built on three pillars: evidence-based practice, trauma-informed care, and respectful collaboration with medical teams. Are you open to learning and applying these principles in your work? *

Question 8.

This program includes 10 weeks of live, interactive sessions, community discussion, and case study participation. Are you comfortable engaging in a group learning environment? *

Question 9.

This program is delivered through an online portal and includes weekly live Zoom calls. How would you describe your comfort level with online learning platforms? *

Don't worry — we provide step-by-step setup instructions, a welcome video, and tech support calls with our student support team. We just want to make sure we're prepared to support you well.

Cohort Acknowledgment

✅ I acknowledge that I am applying for the Fall 2026 Cohort beginning September 29, 2026. *

Yes

📌 NOTE: If you are interested in the Winter or Spring cohort, please join our waitlist to be notified when applications are open.
→ JOIN THE WAITLIST HERE

Investment Acknowledgment

✅ I understand the NICU Doula Academy investment is $1,195 for waitlist-accepted students or $1,495 at the standard rate. Payment plans are available in 3-month and 5-month options. I am prepared to move forward, or I would like to discuss payment options after acceptance. *

Yes, I understand

Is there anything about the investment you'd like us to know?

Scholarship Consideration

A limited scholarship fund is available for each cohort. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need and program fit. Once the fund is exhausted, it closes for that cohort — no exceptions.

Question 11.

Would you like to be considered for a scholarship? *

No — please review my application at the standard investment

Yes — I would like to be considered for scholarship support

If yes, an additional question will populate for you to complete and will serve as your official scholarship application.

If no, you'll be directed to Question 13.

Scholarship Application

Question 12.

Please share briefly why scholarship support would make this program accessible for you right now. (Note: This is reviewed with care and confidentiality.) *

Scholarship Acknowledgment

✅ I understand that scholarship decisions are made within 2 weeks of my application date. If a scholarship is not available, I will be offered enrollment at the standard investment or the option to defer to a future cohort. *

Yes, I understand

Question 13.

If you were referred by a Certified NICU Doula or affiliate partner, please share their name here. This ensures they receive credit for the referral. Leave blank if not applicable.

If Other, please include where you heard about NDA below. Otherwise, leave it blank if not applicable.

Question 14.

Is there anything else you'd like us to know about you or your application?

Final Acknowledgments

Almost done! Before you submit, please read and confirm the following:

✅ I understand that completing the 10-week NICU Doula Academy program earns me 30 AHNA-approved continuing education hours and the standing of Professionally Trained NICU Doula. I may begin practicing and be listed in The NICU Doula Directory immediately upon program completion while I work toward the full C-ND credential at my own pace. I have up to one year from my cohort end date to complete all certification requirements. I have reviewed the C-ND Credential Overview Guide and understand what's involved. *

Yes, I understand

View the C-ND Credential Overview Guide →

✅ I understand that NICU Doula Academy offers need-based scholarship support. If I would like to be considered for a scholarship, I must select YES on the scholarship consideration section (Question 11 within this application). Note: there is not a separate scholarship form. Scholarships are limited, awarded from a fixed fund allocated to each cohort, and are never guaranteed. Scholarship applications are reviewed in batches twice per month — It may take up to two weeks to complete admissions and scholarship decisions. *

Yes, I understand

If you did not apply for a scholarship, please note admissions decision will be sent out within 5 business days. Payment plans are available to all accepted students.

✅ I understand that the information I share in this application is kept confidential and used only for admissions review by The NICU Translator team. *

Yes, I understand

A confirmation email will be sent to the address you provided. If you don't receive it within a few minutes, please check your spam folder and add [email protected] to your contacts.

✅ I agree to receive email and SMS communications from The NICU Translator. I understand I can unsubscribe from emails or opt out of text messages at any time.Please note: If you choose to unsubscribe from emails or opt out of text messages, you will no longer receive communications regarding your application, status updates, or other important information. *

Yes, I agree and understand