Home Hospice Association

Infant & Pregnancy Loss Support Certificate Program

Join us in helping bridge the gap in perinatal loss support and bringing compassionate care to individuals and families in need.

About the Program

Our Infant and Pregnancy Loss Support (IPLS) Certificate Program is a 2-day weekend training designed to equip professionals and community caregivers with the skills and knowledge to support individuals and families through the heart-wrenching experience of perinatal loss. As the first program of its kind in Canada, it offers participants insights and practical expertise from highly qualified and experienced professionals, ensuring comprehensive preparation for this sensitive role.

We understand the urgent need for every community to have access to trained support professionals who can assist individuals and families navigating the devastating loss of an infant or pregnancy. Since its launch in 2015, this program has empowered dedicated participants from across Canada (and beyond) to deliver compassionate care. With training in grief support, postpartum care, and caregiver well-being, participants are prepared to provide meaningful care and fill a critical gap in perinatal loss support services.

Upcoming Dates

October 19 – 20, 2024

2025 dates coming soon!

Training Fee

$500.00 Standard Fee

$375.00 for HHA Death Doulas & Candidates

Class Time (ETZ, online via Zoom)

Saturday: 9am - 5pm

Sunday: 9am - 5pm

Program Objectives

Gain practical knowledge of the four domains of care: planning, active support, legacy, and grief.

Understand the normal process of grief surrounding perinatal loss.

Recognize the role of an Infant & Pregnancy Loss Support Professional and their importance in providing compassionate care.

Develop self-awareness of how personal experiences with death may influence professional practice.

Support diverse personal, cultural, and spiritual mourning practices and observances.

Explore the profound emotional and physical parallels between normal birth and perinatal loss.

Learning Outcomes

Understand the signs of active dying and educate families on what to expect.

Apply strategies to support families through various types of perinatal loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth, and early infant death.

Suggest meaningful ways to honour and memorialize a baby at any stage of loss.

Provide knowledge of local laws, rights, and guidelines related to perinatal loss.

Utilize effective communication and listening skills to support families and facilitate communication with medical staff.

Offer holistic pain management strategies and emotional support, both during and after the loss.

Create and maintain a respectful, supportive environment for grieving parents, siblings, and extended family members.

Testimonials

“This is an amazing team with a wide variety of skills and experience! I am more than pleased to have access to all of your knowledge and feel that it was presented quite well.”

Payment Details

The standard registration fee is $500.00 and $375.00 for HHA Death Doulas & Candidates.

To secure your spot in the training, please transfer your full payment via e-transfer or PayPal to funds@homehospiceassociation.com

Please note: The registration fee is non-refundable. If you are unable to attend your training session, you may transfer your payment to a future session. Alternatively, if you choose not to participate in a future session, you can donate your registration fee to our scholarship fund or one of our community programs, for which a donation receipt will be issued.

Infant & Pregnancy Loss Support
Certificate Program

Meet the Facilitators

Glen Burkholder

Glen is a co-founder of Home Hospice Association and has been a funeral director since 1986. Originally from the Niagara Region, he moved to Toronto in 2012. He is a member of the Niagara District Funeral Service Association and currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Toronto District Funeral Directors Inc. and the Ontario Funeral Service Association. In February 2023, Glen joined the team of McKersie & Early Funeral Home in Milton, Ontario.

Glen is especially passionate about HHA’s continued education and training mission, and is deeply involved in the development and facilitation of the Death Doula and Infant and Pregnancy Loss Doula certificate programs.

Cari Ferguson

As candidate advisor, Cari oversees both the Death Doula and Infant and Pregnancy Loss Support certificate programs. She is also a facilitator for both of these training programs.

Cari is deeply passionate about death and grief education. She is the founder of Strong Winds Consulting, a professional bereavement service that provides insight, guidance, and companionship to those approaching their end of life as well as grief support to those in mourning.

Molly Hockin

Molly is a Registered Midwife in Ontario, practicing in the GTA. With her experience and passion for working with clients through perinatal loss and abortion, particularly through a home-centered midwifery model of care, Molly brings a wealth of knowledge to HHA as our Termination Subject Matter Expert. She also teaches the section on abortion for HHA’s Infant and Pregnancy Loss Doula training.

Julie Anne Mauno

Julie-Anne Muano is a Registered Perinatal Support Worker (PNSW), a faculty member for the PNSW program at Mohawk College, an Infant and Pregnancy Loss Doula (IPLD) and a Social Work student. She helped create HHA’s Our Babies, Our Grief and is part of HHA’s Death Education team for the Infant and Pregnancy Loss Doula Certificate program.

She lives and works in Northeastern Ontario and is passionate about providing perinatal support to families, including infant and pregnancy loss support. Her interests include trauma-informed care, anti-oppressive practice, decolonization, perinatal grief support, and postpartum mental health and well-being.

Facilitator Testimonial

"Working with Home Hospice Association and their Infant and Pregnancy Loss Support Program has been incredibly rewarding and valuable. I have had the great pleasure of teaching in the program, and meeting extraordinary individuals who are looking to change the face of support through some of the hardest and most heartbreaking pregnancy experiences clients can have. As a midwife, I have witnessed and supported these losses firsthand, and the information in this program is invaluable to build confidence, community, and skills to offer care to people who need it dearly. The greatest thing about HHA is its tight-knit community. I am in regular contact with past students to support them through their first support experiences, and have reached out to the other staff and presenters at HHA to support me with client losses in my own clinical practice when I need help navigating complex aspects of the system. The program is comprehensive and long lasting." - Molly Hockin, RM

Who Should Take This Program?

Anyone who provides emotional support, advice or comfort to an individual and their loved ones experiencing perinatal loss and grief, including social workers and counsellors

Experienced midwives seeking to expand their role in providing compassionate end-of-life care and deepen their involvement in the home hospice community, while benefiting from HHA’s extensive networks and resources

New Registrants and midwives within their first five years of practice looking to gain knowledge, build confidence, and access vital support

Other birth workers (professionals or students) working within primary care and/or birth environments, including birth doulas and neonatal medical practitioners

Caregivers or individuals wanting to learn how to better support grieving loved ones

Primary care practitioners looking to develop their skills in compassionate care
Persons in community supportive roles who serve bereaved families
Professionals who provide one-to-one bereavement support to families before, during and after death, including bereavement specialists and funeral professionals
Professionals who work in emergency or trauma environments that may witness infant death
Individuals who have experienced this type of loss and want to support and empower others