diff --git a/front-page.php b/front-page.php
index 12ac7b9..a9c5812 100644
--- a/front-page.php
+++ b/front-page.php
@@ -20,42 +20,8 @@
 
 get_header();
 
-/**
- * Verdict taxonomy data for the homepage explainer strip.
- * Canonical order matches CMO brief §5.1 and the 5-state enum in verdict-meta.php.
- */
-$verdict_taxonomy = array(
-	array(
-		'state'       => 'established',
-		'glyph'       => '✓',
-		'label'       => 'Established',
-		'description' => 'Strong RCT evidence; widely prescribed or validated.',
-	),
-	array(
-		'state'       => 'promising',
-		'glyph'       => '◐',
-		'label'       => 'Promising',
-		'description' => 'Meaningful human data accumulating; not yet RCT-strong.',
-	),
-	array(
-		'state'       => 'investigational',
-		'glyph'       => '?',
-		'label'       => 'Investigational',
-		'description' => 'Mechanism plausible; human trials sparse.',
-	),
-	array(
-		'state'       => 'insufficient',
-		'glyph'       => '⊘',
-		'label'       => 'Insufficient Evidence',
-		'description' => 'Not enough data to say anything responsible.',
-	),
-	array(
-		'state'       => 'cautionary',
-		'glyph'       => '⚠',
-		'label'       => 'Cautionary',
-		'description' => 'Active safety signals or misuse patterns.',
-	),
-);
+/** @see inc/verdict-helpers.php — peptide_starter_get_verdict_taxonomy() */
+$verdict_taxonomy = peptide_starter_get_verdict_taxonomy();
 
 /**
  * Featured monograph post IDs. These are the three exemplar monographs
@@ -183,20 +149,15 @@ $featured_monograph_ids = array( 211, 36, 177 );
 				<?php esc_html_e( 'Real assessments from our database — see the system in action.', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>
 			</p>
 			<div class="hero-featured-verdicts__grid">
-				<?php foreach ( $featured_posts as $featured_post ) :
+				<?php
+				foreach ( $featured_posts as $featured_post ) :
 					$post_id      = $featured_post->ID;
 					$verdict_state = get_post_meta( $post_id, 'verdict_state', true );
 					$verdict_text  = get_post_meta( $post_id, 'verdict_text', true );
 					$post_url      = get_permalink( $post_id );
 
-					// Verdict state config (mirrors badge.php logic).
-					$verdict_config = array(
-						'established'    => array( 'glyph' => '✓', 'label' => 'Established' ),
-						'promising'      => array( 'glyph' => '◐', 'label' => 'Promising' ),
-						'investigational'=> array( 'glyph' => '?', 'label' => 'Investigational' ),
-						'insufficient'   => array( 'glyph' => '⊘', 'label' => 'Insufficient Evidence' ),
-						'cautionary'     => array( 'glyph' => '⚠', 'label' => 'Cautionary' ),
-					);
+					// Verdict state config — @see inc/verdict-helpers.php
+					$verdict_config = peptide_starter_get_verdict_config();
 					$vc = isset( $verdict_config[ $verdict_state ] ) ? $verdict_config[ $verdict_state ] : null;
 
 					// Signal rows (up to 3).
diff --git a/functions.php b/functions.php
index fc7f54c..67f3279 100644
--- a/functions.php
+++ b/functions.php
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ require_once PEPTIDE_STARTER_DIR . '/inc/newsletter-admin.php';
 require_once PEPTIDE_STARTER_DIR . '/inc/mail-diagnostic.php';
 require_once PEPTIDE_STARTER_DIR . '/inc/perf-asset-policy.php';
 require_once PEPTIDE_STARTER_DIR . '/inc/verdict-meta.php';
+require_once PEPTIDE_STARTER_DIR . '/inc/verdict-helpers.php';
 
 /**
  * Set up theme defaults and register support for WordPress features.
diff --git a/inc/verdict-helpers.php b/inc/verdict-helpers.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7013d5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/inc/verdict-helpers.php
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Verdict helper functions for homepage and template parts.
+ *
+ * What: Provides data arrays for the 5-state verdict taxonomy used in the
+ *       homepage explainer strip and featured verdict cards.
+ * Who triggers: Required by functions.php on every page load.
+ * Depends on: Nothing — pure data functions, no WP dependencies.
+ *
+ * @see inc/verdict-meta.php      — verdict CPT meta registration
+ * @see template-parts/verdict/   — badge, card, evidence-row components
+ * @see front-page.php            — homepage verdict sections
+ *
+ * @package peptide-starter
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Returns the verdict taxonomy data array for the homepage explainer strip.
+ *
+ * Canonical order matches CMO brief §5.1 and the 5-state enum in verdict-meta.php.
+ *
+ * @return array[] Each element: state (string), glyph (string), label (string), description (string).
+ */
+function peptide_starter_get_verdict_taxonomy() {
+	return array(
+		array(
+			'state'       => 'established',
+			'glyph'       => '✓',
+			'label'       => 'Established',
+			'description' => 'Strong RCT evidence; widely prescribed or validated.',
+		),
+		array(
+			'state'       => 'promising',
+			'glyph'       => '◐',
+			'label'       => 'Promising',
+			'description' => 'Meaningful human data accumulating; not yet RCT-strong.',
+		),
+		array(
+			'state'       => 'investigational',
+			'glyph'       => '?',
+			'label'       => 'Investigational',
+			'description' => 'Mechanism plausible; human trials sparse.',
+		),
+		array(
+			'state'       => 'insufficient',
+			'glyph'       => '⊘',
+			'label'       => 'Insufficient Evidence',
+			'description' => 'Not enough data to say anything responsible.',
+		),
+		array(
+			'state'       => 'cautionary',
+			'glyph'       => '⚠',
+			'label'       => 'Cautionary',
+			'description' => 'Active safety signals or misuse patterns.',
+		),
+	);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the verdict state config map (glyph + label per state slug).
+ *
+ * Used by featured verdict cards on the homepage and any template that needs
+ * to render a verdict badge from a state string without loading the full card.
+ *
+ * @return array Keyed by state slug. Each value: array{ glyph: string, label: string }.
+ */
+function peptide_starter_get_verdict_config() {
+	return array(
+		'established'     => array(
+			'glyph' => '✓',
+			'label' => 'Established',
+		),
+		'promising'       => array(
+			'glyph' => '◐',
+			'label' => 'Promising',
+		),
+		'investigational' => array(
+			'glyph' => '?',
+			'label' => 'Investigational',
+		),
+		'insufficient'    => array(
+			'glyph' => '⊘',
+			'label' => 'Insufficient Evidence',
+		),
+		'cautionary'      => array(
+			'glyph' => '⚠',
+			'label' => 'Cautionary',
+		),
+	);
+}