Childcare CPR & first aid requirements

First Aid & CPR Colombia

If you work in childcare in Colombia — 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.

Requirements at a glance

Regulatory frameworkICBF Operational Manual for Early-Childhood Attention - Institutional Modality (MO12.PP, v2, 2017) and operating licence: staff (human talent) must be trained as first responder and in first aid according to fixed staff-to-child ratios, with a trained person present at all times per site.
Governing authorityColombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF).
Min. certified staffFirst aid: 1 person for 100 children or fewer, 2 for 101-200, 3 for 201+; first responder: 2 for 100 or fewer, 4 for 101-200, 6 for 201+ (above 300, +1 per additional 50-100 children). At least one trained person present at all times per site; the coordinator must be trained in all courses.
Online training acceptanceOnline courses accepted
Online courses accepted

What Colombia requires

In Colombia, the ICBF Operational Manual for the Institutional Modality and the operating licence require human-talent staff to be trained as first responders and in first aid, with ratios set by the number of children—for example, one first-aid-trained person for every 100 children or fewer, and two first responders for that same group. The manual asks that at least one trained person always be present at each site and that the coordinator be trained in every course. No hours or expiry are fixed, but the training is a verifiable requirement to operate.

Anaphylaxis and medication administration

The ICBF operational manual requires a first-aid kit and first-aid-trained staff, yet it bars keeping medicines in the kit for administration to children and does not address anaphylaxis. Adrenaline auto-injectors are not sold in Colombia—only prescription ampoules—so centres hold no stock adrenaline. Given that reality, what matters is recognising a severe allergic reaction in time, agreeing a written plan and authorization with the family for any of the child's own medication, and keeping it safely stored and clearly labelled.

How our courses meet these requirements

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

Don't wait for renewal day

When a child stops breathing or suffers a severe allergic reaction, there is no time to hesitate: the seconds count and whoever is beside them makes the difference. Training in pediatric first aid and CPR gives you the confidence to act well under pressure and gives every family the peace of mind that their child is in prepared hands. A certification built on recognised standards meets what the ICBF asks for and turns that requirement into a genuine culture of care.