Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) at the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH use their expertise to support children during hospitalizations by providing preparation, education, distraction, play, and coping tools. Our Child Life Services team works closely with the interdisciplinary team to promote family-centered care, supporting the child and family’s physical and emotional needs.
What are the Goals of Child Life Services?
Child life intervention minimizes both the immediate and long-term effects of stress, anxiety, and psychosocial trauma, ultimately empowering children, families, and their support systems to reach their full potential. The goal of Child Life Services is to:
- Assess coping responses and psychological needs of the child, family, and support system
- Minimize stress and anxiety of the child, family, and support system
- Prepare the patient for healthcare experiences
- Provide essential life experiences
- Create opportunities that strengthen the child’s self-esteem and independence
- Communicate and advocate effectively with other members of the healthcare team
What is a Child Life Specialist?
Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) are bachelor’s and master’s educated professionals certified by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP). CCLS have completed an internship in Child Life and necessary coursework outlined by the ACLP. Upon passing the certification exam, they become certified in the field.
Child life specialists provide psychosocial support to children, families, and their support systems impacted by stress related to significant life experiences. These events influence typical growth and development, and child life specialists aim to minimize the risk of long-term negative effects. Child life specialists have a professional obligation to follow the Child Life Certification Commission’s Code of Professional Practice, which outlines the ethical responsibilities of the professional. Child life specialists will only practice within areas of specialty for which they have received training. When the needs of children, families, and their support systems extend beyond the scope of practice, it is the ethical responsibility of the child life professional to make recommendations for and referrals to additional services.
Explore Our Child Life Services
Our child life services include direct care, consultation, supervision, education, advocacy, and environmental planning through the means of:
- Provide opportunities for a variety of play, activities, and other interactions that promote self-healing, self-expression, understanding, and mastery
- Provide diversional activities to promote developmental stimulation and normalization during hospitalizations
- Provide recreational activities outside of the patient’s room in the Child Life Activity Center, Teen Lounge, and other locations where appropriate
- Uses medical toys to help normalize children to medical items that they will see during their hospitalization
- Engages child in education and play using medical supplies with direct supervision of a CCLS to normalize items that will be used during procedures
- Encouragement of emotional expression during play to work out their fears, energy, and anxiety (i.e. re-enactment of experiences through doll play).
- Provide the child with autonomy to make choices and gain a sense of control.
- Uses books and medical teaching dolls to provide age-appropriate education to the patient and family about a new diagnosis
- Helps to develop a coping plan for procedures related to their new diagnosis to promote autonomy
- Develops care plans for individuals or groups based on assessment of the child’s development, temperament, coping style, culture, spirituality, potential stressors, family needs, and social supports
- Provides prevention, health maintenance, and lifestyle information
- Provides developmentally appropriate education about anesthesia, pre-op, surgery, and post-op
- Helps to build coping plans with pediatric patients prior to surgery to promote cooperation and decrease anxiety during induction
- Provides distraction and coaching during induction to help decrease anxiety
- Provides sibling support and education regarding the death of their brother or sister
- Educates caregivers regarding how to explain death to a child
- Advocates for the patient’s wishes at the end of life
- Provides memory making items for the family to take home
- Collaborates with psychology and social work to provide community resources
- Provides support during visitations with the loved one for any other child visiting
- Advocates for Spiritual Health, Hospice, and Palliative Care support
- Collaborates with LifeLink to provide support to the family when there is an organ donation
- Advocates for parents to be present and involved in procedures for their child
- Educates about their child’s new diagnosis and how to support their child during hospitalizations
- Provides consultation regarding the unique needs of children and families to promote healthy coping with potentially stressful events and circumstances
- Educate about a brother or sister’s diagnosis or a procedure
- Provides support prior to visiting their brother or sister in the hospital
- Provides recreation while visiting the hospital
- Provides materials and opportunities to continue sibling bonds during separation