Advocate for Parents of Perinatal Loss (APPL)
A Certification by Heaven’s Gain Ministries
The next training sessions are September 15 & 16, 2025. If interested in attending this training, complete the “APPL Training Registration Form” above.
Heavens Gain Ministries has an APPL certification for those seeking to help parents with pregnancy loss. This class is an extensive certification training developed to prepare Advocates of Parents of Perinatal Loss or APPL’s to address the needs of parents before, during and after the loss of a baby of any gestation.
Over 1,000,000 women experience pregnancy loss in the United States each year affecting 1 in 4 pregnancies. To address the needs of your clients who face the loss of their babies due to miscarriage or stillbirth, please consider attending one of our training opportunities. Please contact us with any questions.
Full Certification APPL Training
The Advocates for Parents of Perinatal Loss (APPL) Certification Program is a 12-hour course which is specifically designed to instruct advocates in non-medical methods of supporting parents experiencing the loss of a baby in any trimester: miscarriage, stillbirth, or poor prenatal diagnosis. This comprehensive training educates client advocates to serve parents experiencing pregnancy loss: before, during, and after the delivery of their precious baby.
The cost for this training is $500 per student, with a partial scholarship price of $400 for pro-life organizations, and $125 for those in Cincinnati intending to volunteer for Heaven’s Gain.
Certification requires preparation before attending class:
Before Class Reading and Videos
- 6 Training Books
- 2 Children’s Books
- APPL Program Binder
- 3-5 Online Videos
During Class
- 12 Hours of Training (over 2 days or 4 nights)
Mailed Materials to Keep
- Miscarriage Kit
- Ornament Craft
- Foot Impressions
- Baby Name Blocks
After Class
- 2-4 Hours of One-on-One Training/Practice
- 2 Support Groups to Shadow
- Ongoing APPL Support
The APPL Certification Program Includes:
- Demonstration of the miscarriage kit
- Preparing client for miscarriage at home including a birth plan
- Preparing clients for late miscarriage or stillbirth in the hospital including a birth plan
- Preparing clients for a live birth and death in the hospital including a birth plan
- Offering clients informed choices in creating memories with their baby
- Offering clients choices in creating mementos of their time with their baby
- The benefits of journaling before and after delivering a baby with a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis
- How to offer advocacy during the client’s time in the hospital
- State laws on miscarriage/stillbirth and parental rights to their child’s remains
- Disposition choices in pregnancy loss
- Referrals for financial help with disposition of the baby’s remains
- Stages of grief and how they vary in pregnancy loss vs. other losses
- Case studies
- Research in pregnancy loss
- Prevention of future pregnancy loss
- Pregnancy loss support groups: benefits and problems
- How to support a rainbow pregnancy (pregnancy after a loss)
- Supporting pregnancy loss clients through Christ- the ultimate healer
An APPL’s Role Before, During, and After Delivery of a baby who has died
Before Delivery/No Heartbeat
APPL advocates will prepare parents for the birth of their baby once it is determined there is no heartbeat, and before they enter the hospital. Advocates meet with parents to alleviate anxiety and fears of the unknown. By receiving non-medical intervention, parents become empowered, ready to make the most of the short time with their child. Our trained advocates will work with the parents to create a birth plan. They will offer options that allow parents to make educated de-cisions to choose what memories and mementos they wish to create with their child.
During Delivery
APPLs will be trained to avail themselves for questions during delivery via phone or in person. They can advocate for their clients and help to make sure the birth plan is understood and fulfilled as closely as possible.
After Delivery
Advocates will be fully knowledgeable to assist parents with their disposition choices: burial or cremation. They can assist in the planning of a service or funeral. Advocates will understand they cannot take away the pain of losing a child, but they can help parents avoid additional trauma that happens if they are not prepared.
There is no time limit on grief. Even well after delivery, advocates are trained to offer peer support to couples and individuals.
This training is an immeasurable gift! It could not have been a more thorough preparation for how to walk with someone going through the loss of a baby. The practical, the emotional, the spiritual, and so much more. I am so grateful and can only hope to live up to the example set by Donna and her team.
This course was incredibly informative and moving. I am so grateful that this organization is bringing to light the impact of infant loss on families and society. Heaven’s Gain and this training is dedicated to supporting families before during and after the loss of their child while empathizing and showing them the hope of life through Jesus. I am in awe!
We all know someone who has miscarried. Donna and the Heaven’s Gain team offer incredible heartfelt and concrete ways to walk with couples through loss. I feel confident preparing a couple for a baby’s delivery and beyond. This training covers many details of supporting the whole person, mom and dad, while treasuring the baby that heaven has gained. The kindness and compassion of Donna, Kim, and Dawn was amazing! The love in the room was overwhelming! I saw Jesus everywhere! I see Jesus working in Heaven’s Gain.
This training is so life giving and beautiful! It breathes hope Back into something traumatic and painful, and it provides a way to love and honor families in loss.
Our Mission
HGM’s mission is to provide for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of families experiencing pregnancy loss: before, during, and after the delivery of their precious baby.
APPL Non-Discrimination Statement
Advocates for Parents of Perinatal Loss (APPL) training is Christian based. APPLs will emerge trained in non-medical methods to help grieving families of all faiths or for those with no faith.
Heaven’s Gain Ministries’ APPL instructors and advocates do not discriminate by faith, age, skin color or sexual preference.
As we serve parents, APPLs will not push religious beliefs. It is our goal that our trained APPLs exemplify Christian love for the families and their precious children as they support and advocate for them.