The professional must have full ability to assess and treat pediatric feeding disorders (PFDs) in their scope of practice under their active licensure. For example, the following professionals are currently eligible to pursue certification in the United States (“U.S.”): speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists. Additional professions will be considered solely based on scope of practice and licensure as this can vary overtime and outside of the United States.

Yes. Applicants must have completed Feed The Peds® or demonstrate completion of 40+ hours of foundational pediatric feeding and swallowing coursework that aligns with the core content taught in Feed The Peds®.
All alternative coursework must be reviewed and approved.

In addition, applicants must be actively assessing and treating pediatric feeding disorders by the start of the CPFT™ certification process.

These prerequisites ensure all participants enter the CPFT™ program with a shared foundational knowledge base, allowing the certification to focus on advanced education, clinical reasoning, and mentorship rather than introductory concepts.

Once the certification process is initiated, the total time for certification shall take no more than 245 days. Weekly calls will occur for 8 months.

FOR LIFE! You’ll never lose access to the curriculum.

Yes. A CPFT™ or Certified Pediatric Feeding Therapist™ is required to maintain their certification. To renew certification, they must also submit proof of 15 CEUs every 3 years in the areas of feeding, airway, tethered oral tissues and/or related topics.

No, a specialized certification is not required to be a pediatric feeding therapist, just the appropriate degree and license that clearly includes pediatric feeding disorders within your professional scope of practice. A specialized certification is designed to advance your skills and knowledge, build your credentials, and to help you with future job applications and higher pay rate requests.

The 2 pediatric assessment cases, reports and treatment plans will be submitted blind to two certification board members for standardized scoring; the two reviewers will not be provided with the name of the certification candidate and will use a standard rubric to promote fair and equitable scoring at this phase.

Any certification candidate is able to re-take any portion of the certification up to two times per section; after which the opportunity to restart the certification with the requirement of additional mentorship hours will be made available and required to proceed for an additional fee. Additional CEUs, mentorship office hours, study clubs and research reviews may be recommended as well.

Not yet. CPFT is intentionally designed to meet accreditation standards, and we plan to formally apply for accreditation in 2028, once eligibility requirements are met. In the meantime, CPFT follows rigorous educational standards and is built by experienced clinicians and educators.