Code of Professional Excellence

Version 2.0, effective November 1, 2026.

Preamble

A Certified Formator™ works inside a family's home, with its children, through the years that shape them most. The family is trusting a professional with the people who matter most to them, and usually with the details of their private life as well. This Code sets out what that trust rests on: the standards every Certified Formator practices by, and what happens when a standard isn't met.

Most of what's here, you already do. The Code gives it a name and puts it in writing, so that families and agencies know what a Certified Formator holds themselves to.

How you accept this Code

You accept this Code through the Certified Formator™ Enrollment Agreement, when you check the box at checkout or, if you were given access without a purchase, when you enroll in or use the courses. The Code applies to you from the day your certification is issued and for as long as it's active, including the suspended periods described in Section VIII. There's nothing to sign.

By accepting, you confirm that you have read these standards and will practice by them, that you understand the accountability process in Section VIII, that you'll keep learning as a professional, and that your certification depends on keeping to this Code.

Which version applies. The version of this Code published at formatorinstitute.com/code-of-professional-excellence/ is the one in force. If The Formator Institute (FI) changes the Code, we email every Certified Formator at least 30 days before the new version takes effect, and it applies from that date. Every version is kept with its effective date.

Renewal. Certification is renewed every two years. The renewal requirements and fee are published separately and may change with reasonable notice. They are not part of this Code.

Core principles

Formator Method™. Certified Formators practice with the four proprietary frameworks the Certified Formator™ program teaches under Formator Method™: IMPACT, LISTEN, SBAR and TRACK. The frameworks are taught inside the program and are not reproduced here.

The program also teaches WOOP, a reflection tool developed by the psychologist Gabriele Oettingen, as a supporting practice.

How a Certified Formator thinks through a hard moment. The program teaches one fixed order for working through any difficult situation, and the children come first in it. A Certified Formator uses that order, and the frameworks above, when a professional decision is unclear.

Primary commitment. Above every other consideration, a Certified Formator is committed to the child's development, safety and wellbeing, in partnership with the family. In practice that means care that supports the child physically, emotionally and developmentally, and close work with the parents to honor the family's values and goals. When interests conflict, the welfare of the children comes first, and the Certified Formator keeps the relationships around the child intact through open communication and shared problem-solving.

Section I: Child welfare and development

Standards for child-centered practice

I-1. Children's physical safety, emotional security and developmental needs come first in every professional decision you make.

I-2. You use evidence-based practice that fits each child's development and the family's cultural context.

I-3. You create a nurturing environment that builds each child's confidence, emotional regulation and social competence.

I-4. You respect each child's temperament, learning style and developmental timeline, without measuring them against other children.

I-5. When a child's developmental needs conflict with a family's preferences, you advocate for the child with care, in language that keeps the relationship intact.

Professional practices

I-6. You use positive guidance and evidence-based approaches to support children's behavior and emotional development.

I-7. You keep children's activities and experiences developmentally appropriate and in service of their wellbeing.

Section II: Professional boundaries

Relationship management

II-1. You keep a clear boundary between your professional role and personal relationships with the family, while giving warm, responsive care.

II-2. You take part in family activities as a professional, so that you can keep offering objective guidance.

II-3. You work within your expertise and your contracted responsibilities, and refer the family on when a specialist is needed.

Personal conduct

II-4. Your appearance and conduct reflect well on the profession and model what you want the children to see.

II-5. You are fully present and capable whenever you are working or on call for the children.

II-6. You manage your personal social media so that it protects the family's privacy and your professional standing.

Section III: Confidentiality and privacy

Information protection

III-1. You protect all family information, and share it only when a child's welfare requires it or the family has given explicit consent.

III-2. You secure family documentation, photos and communications on approved devices and platforms.

III-3. You keep discretion about family matters, the children's development and household operations.

Information sharing

III-4. You share information with parents, family members and authorized professionals when the sharing supports the child's development and safety.

III-5. You get consent before photographing a child or sharing any image, video or detailed information about a child.

III-6. You know and follow the mandatory reporting requirements where you work, with care for the family relationships involved.

Section IV: Professional competency and development

Ongoing learning

IV-1. You keep current with child development research, safety protocols and evidence-based practice through continuing education.

IV-2. You complete professional development each year, including current safety certifications and training that fits your practice.

IV-3. You seek supervision, consultation or further training when a situation calls for more than you have.

The Formator Institute shares the International Nanny Association's commitment to "support the life-long process of personal growth and professional development" (International Nanny Association, 2024).

Competency boundaries

IV-4. You work within your scope of practice and refer families to the right specialist for medical, therapeutic or educational interventions.

IV-5. You keep a clear line between your role and medical diagnosis, therapeutic treatment or educational assessment.

IV-6. You document observations and recommendations objectively, and keep what you saw separate from what you make of it.

Section V: Legal and safety excellence

Legal responsibilities

V-1. You know and follow the employment laws, safety regulations and child protection requirements that apply where you work.

V-2. You hold current CPR, First Aid and AED certification and respond to emergencies by the protocols agreed with the family.

V-3. Child protection comes before any confidentiality agreement. You report suspected abuse or neglect as the law requires.

Safety leadership

V-4. You put systematic safety protocols in place that prevent injury and protect the children across every property, environment and activity.

V-5. You document incidents objectively and raise safety concerns with the family, and with the relevant authorities when required, promptly and professionally.

V-6. You coordinate with security personnel, medical professionals and other household staff so that safety holds across the whole household.

Section VI: Cultural competence and family values

Respectful practice

VI-1. You respect and support different family structures, cultural traditions and parenting philosophies, while holding professional standards of child development and safety.

VI-2. You adapt your communication and approach to the family's preferences, while keeping your expertise and your duty to advocate for the child.

VI-3. You seek to understand the family's values and bring them into daily practice where doing so supports the child's wellbeing.

Good practice honors cultural differences while keeping every child's development in view (Gonzalez-Mena, 2007).

Values integration

VI-4. When your professional knowledge and the family's preferences differ, you work it through in conversation that keeps the relationship intact and protects the child's developmental needs.

VI-5. You stay neutral on religion, politics and lifestyle, and respect the family's values.

Section VII: Professional conduct

Professional behavior

VII-1. You are honest and reliable, and you act with integrity in every professional communication and commitment.

VII-2. You represent your qualifications, experience and capabilities accurately to families and agencies.

VII-3. You honor your contractual obligations and professional commitments, and give adequate notice of any change to your availability or employment.

The US Nanny Association's standards ask the same of every nanny: honesty, accountability, and dependable, ethical conduct as a role model for children (US Nanny Association, 2024).

Professional growth and community

VII-4. Where you can, you contribute to the profession through mentorship, collaboration and advocacy for professional standards in private household childcare.

VII-5. You support other professionals through respectful collaboration and shared learning, while keeping confidentiality about specific families.

VII-6. You raise professional concerns through appropriate channels, putting child welfare and professional integrity first and keeping respect for everyone involved.

Section VIII: Professional accountability

Compliance

VIII-1. You take part in professional assessment, including self-evaluation with the frameworks of Formator Method and peer consultation where it's available.

VIII-2. You keep professional documentation that shows your practice against these standards, including your continuing education records.

VIII-3. Your adherence to these standards is reviewed at each renewal. What the review looks at is set out in the renewal requirements, published separately.

Professional support

VIII-4. When a concern about your practice arises, FI works with you on it: mentorship, further training and structured problem-solving.

VIII-5. Support is matched to the concern: professional coaching, further training, a supervised practice period or a written improvement plan.

VIII-6. A serious violation of these standards that puts child welfare or professional integrity at risk can lead to suspension or revocation of your certification, after the review and appeal process below.

Review and appeal

This process applies to any concern that could lead to suspension or revocation under VIII-6. It also applies to an academic integrity finding under the Enrollment Agreement.

Notice. FI tells you in writing what the concern is and what information it rests on.
Your response. You have 14 days from the notice to respond in writing, with anything you want considered.
Decision. FI gives you a written decision, with reasons, within 30 days of receiving your response or of the response deadline passing. The decision is one of: no action; an improvement plan under VIII-4 and VIII-5; suspension for a stated period or until stated conditions are met; or revocation.
Appeal. You may appeal within 14 days of the decision by writing to info@formatorinstitute.com and saying why you think the decision is wrong. The appeal is decided within 30 days by an outside reviewer FI appoints for the case, who took no part in the first decision. The appeal decision is final.
Immediate risk. If a child's safety is at immediate risk, FI may suspend your certification while the review runs.
While suspended or revoked. You stop using the Certified Formator™ title, certificate and badge until your certification is active again. FI doesn't publish suspensions or revocations. It confirms the status of a credential only when an agency, family or employer asks to verify it, as the Enrollment Agreement sets out.

Bibliography

Feeney, S., Freeman, N. K., & Moravcik, E. (2020). Focus on ethics: Professional boundaries in early childhood education. Young Children, 75(5). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/dec2020/professional-boundaries

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2007). Diversity in early care and education: Honoring differences (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

International Nanny Association. (2024). About INA: Commitment to professional excellence. https://nanny.org/about-ina/

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2011). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. NAEYC.

US Nanny Association. (2024). National nanny standards. https://www.usnanny.org/standards/

Questions about this Code: info@formatorinstitute.com. formatorinstitute.com