What is a certified child life specialist?
Recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “Child life specialists focus on the optimal development and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults while promoting coping skills and minimizing the adverse effects of hospitalization, health care, and/or other potentially stressful experiences. Using therapeutic play, expressive modalities, and psychological preparation as primary tools, in collaboration with the entire health care team and family, child life interventions facilitate coping and adjustment at times and under circumstances that might otherwise prove overwhelming for the child.” (AAP, 2015, Policy Statement)
the roots of child life services
In the first half of the 20th century, early research studies of infants and children experiencing emotional stress during long-term hospitalizations laid the foundation for hiring play/recreational therapists that organized activities and provided educational care. These patients that were under- stimulated and lacked human contact led us to believe that children had the ability to withstand painful and frightening medical procedures with the comfort of an adult that provided psychosocial and emotional support.
from play ladies to child life specialists
The play therapists were also responsible for teaching other hospital workers about the benefits of diversionary activities and social services for young patients. Unfortunately, social support programs such as these were not taken seriously at the time. Mott’s Children’s Hospital in Michigan and Babies and Children’s Hospital of New York were the first healthcare organizations to create play programs in 1922 and 1929, respectively. It was through services like these that we realized providing play, preparation and educational programs were necessary to promote optimal development during hospitalization while alleviating the anxieties and fears associated with medical procedures and treatment. The people that established these programs (early child life workers and sometimes called “play ladies”) were also advocates of parental participation and family- centered care. These efforts are what created the philosophy of child life.
“In 1965, a group of women that agreed there was a lot to teach hospital staff about the developmental needs of children, met in Boston to share their experiences and challenges about working in the field ”
Vision-to-Action
Early pioneers of child life services learned that they needed to develop an organization which promoted healthcare environments that were kid-friendly and included health care professionals from multiple disciplines in the field. In 1967, The Association for the Care of Children in Hospitals was established. In 1979 it was renamed the Association for the Care of Children’s Health (ACCH) and its members were teachers, parents, child life specialists, and nurses — all professionals concerned with the well-being of children and their families. The child life members named themselves The Child Life Study Section, within the ACCH, to establish their own identity as child life professionals and explore policies and development within their field.
mission statement
In the 1970s, an increasing number of programs were developed to support hospitalized children. During that period, Child Life professionals searched for theoretical foundations to support child life practices and strengthen their professional presence in pediatric settings. Also at this time, the child life internship was born, adding an educational component to the child life profession.
In 1982, the Child Life Council (CLC) was officially formed and development conferences commenced. By the end of the 1980s, professional resources were produced and with them came the standards of clinical practice and the requirements of professional child life competency.
In 1997, after the Vision-to-Action decisions, the CLC mission statement was created:
“We, as child life professionals, strive to reduce the negative impact of stressful or traumatic life events and situations that affect the development, health and well-being of infants, children, youth and families. We embrace the value of play as a healing modality as we work to enhance the optimal growth and development of infants, children and youth through assessment, intervention, prevention, advocacy, and education.”
Research for global change
According to the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), “research is a fundamental tool of inquiry to guide our practices and interventions and to strengthen and promote our profession. Child life professionals have a responsibility to maintain a current understanding of research findings and participate in research that examines our practices” (www.childlife.org).
Child life professionals all over the globe have become patient advocates for children undergoing medical treatment. International organizations like Child Life United have built bridges between child life services and marginalized pediatric populations around the world. At first a service offered only in the United States, now child life has blossomed to countries such as Kenya, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and beyond.
The Momentos team is constantly involved in research to strengthen child life professional standards with the intent to represent children of all cultures. Momentos founder Kia L. Ferrér is currently doing research to discover more inclusive services to better address the rapidly changing demographic makeup of our youngest citizens.