Child Life

Certified Child Life Specialists provide medical education, preparation and therapeutic play to support to reduce fear, anxiety and pain for children and promote positive coping with medical experiences and other challenging life events. Child life specialists are educated and trained in child development, thus value and incorporate play into interventions as it is a key vehicle in which children learn and cope.  Advocating for children and families facing uncertainty and stress related to checkups, hospitalization, injury and illness is a core role of a certified child life specialist. 

Most commonly Certified Child Life Specialists are employed in hospitals and clinics, but today can be found in more and more non-traditional settings in the community, like dental offices, hospice care, or private practice. In order to practice as a child life specialist in the medical setting, individuals must complete required education and training requirements, set forth by the Association of Child Life Professionals. For more information about the child life profession, please visit www.childlife.org