Childcare CPR & first aid requirements

If you work in childcare in Iowa — whether at a daycare, preschool, home-based care, or camp — first aid and CPR certification is not optional. It's a licensing requirement, and for good reason: children are among the most vulnerable to choking, allergic reactions, and injuries. Being prepared to respond can mean everything.

What Iowa requires

Under Iowa Administrative Code r. 441-109.7, overseen by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, the director, the on-site supervisor and every staff member counted in the child-to-staff ratio must hold infant, child and adult CPR and first aid certification. The training must be completed within the first three months of employment and kept current thereafter.

Anaphylaxis and medication administration

Iowa requires written medication procedures and parental consent before any medication is given, with medicines stored where children cannot reach them (r. 441-109.10). Only staff who have completed medication-administration training may administer medication, and the state requires caregivers to be trained in responding to food and allergic-reaction emergencies — the readiness that matters most when anaphylaxis strikes and an epinephrine auto-injector is needed.

How our courses meet these requirements

A recognized, standards-based certification — online theory paired with a hands-on skills check — meets Iowa’s requirement and keeps your team ready to act.

Don't wait for renewal day

A choking infant or a sudden anaphylactic reaction leaves no time to look up what to do, so the hands that have rehearsed CPR and auto-injector use are the ones that save a life. Parents leave their children in your care trusting that someone is ready. Completing a recognized, standards-based certification — blended online and in-person options included — keeps every staff member counted in ratio compliant and confident.