The practice of midwifery in out-of-hospital settings is hereby declared to affect the public health, safety, and welfare and to be subject to regulation in the public interest. The purpose of the Act is to protect and benefit the public by setting standards for the qualifications, education, training, and experience of those who seek to obtain licensure as a licensed certified professional midwife, including requirements to work in consultation with hospital based and privileged health care professionals to promote high standards of professional performance for those licensed to practice midwifery in out-of-hospital settings in this State, to promote a consultative and integrated maternity care delivery system in Illinois with agreed-upon consulting, transfer, and transport protocols in use by all health care professionals and licensed certified professional midwives across all health care settings to maximize client safety and positive outcomes, to support accredited education and training as a prerequisite to licensure, and to protect the public.