{Child Life}

Here are a few places in the United States that have Masters Programs in Child Life.

• Bank Street College of Education 

http://www.bnkst.edu/

located in New York, New York. There is more detailed information available here http://www.bankstreet.edu/gs/child_life.html and they have a flyer that can be printed as well. http://webstaging.bankstreet.edu/gems/gs/PDFCL.pdf

• Wheelock College 

http://www.wheelock.edu/

located in Boston, Massachusetts. There is additional informationn on the Child Life concentration here http://www.wheelock.edu/academics/u_acadchildlife.asp

• University of La Verne Master of Science in Child Life

 http://www.ulv.edu/education/programs/ms_cl.phtml 

located in La Verne, California.

• Loma Linda University 

http://www.llu.edu/llu/grad/mfam/mschildlife.html 

located in Loma Linda, California.

Here is a segment that aired on NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams in April. It features Myra Fox and her Child Life Program at Children’s Hospital Boston.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/24031923#24031923

It was surprising and wonderful to see this kind of recognition on a national news channel, but I have to admit, I did cringe when they referred to Myra as the “play lady”. I kind of feel like they made Child Life much more simple than it really is and glossed over all the education that is required to be a CCLS. But it is great to see Child Life have that kind of exposure in the media.

Also, here is a longer segment that wasn’t aired on television.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/24032417#24032417

I’ve been learning more about Child Life Assistants lately. I didn’t know much about them because the children’s hospital I volunteer at, Primary Children’s Medical Center, does not employ any Child Life Assistants. I don’t know if this is a budget issue or something else. Anyone have ideas? I have noticed that some Children’s hospitals have Child Life Assistants, but there are still many who do not. It’s a little bewildering to me because I think it is blindingly obvious the benefits and rewards of having a Child Life Program; in terms of decreased hospital stay time needed as well as decreased need for pain medications. Shouldn’t employing a few Child Life Assistants be viewed as a vital part of a program? Just a thought.

Finding an internship can be a challenging adventure in your Child Life journey. I have been hearing that from everyone since I decided I wanted to go into Child Life. Now that I have graduated, applied for a few internships and have been turned down, I can say with all honesty it is a rollercoaster. Despite that fact, you can’t let it get you down or get in your way. If Child Life is really something you want to do, you just have to accept your losses, learn from your mistakes, pick yourself up and try again. I think my biggest misstep was only applying to 3 internship programs when I should have applied to 20 or 30.

One of the most difficult aspects of the whole internship application process is deciding where you are going to apply. Many hospitals don’t accept independent interns (those student who have graduated and are no longer affiliated with a college). I’m going to start a database of internship sites because I feel it is something the Child Life community is in need of and will benefit many people. If you are a CCLS working in a Child Life Program that offers an internship, please let me know!

Why do I think the internet needs a blog all about Child Life? Well, I can think of many reasons. First of all when I was a student interested in Child Life the only information I could find was extremely limited. It was strictly just from the Child Life Council, as well as Children’s Hospitals sites. I wanted more insight from those who are already CCLS’s working in the crazy, challenging and yet unbelievably rewarding field of Child Life. From another perspective it seems like I talk to so many people who have no idea that such a program even exists! I truly believe it is incredibly crucial for parents of children with chronic illnesses to be aware of all the beautiful and wonderful things that a Child Life program can do for their child and their whole family. I feel like it is something that I am advocating for all the time, no matter where I am.

If you are interested in a career in Child Life, here are a few guidelines to help you out.

A child life specialist is someone with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Child Development, Child Psychology, Human Development or a related field. They have completed a minimum of a 480 hour internship in a hospital (such as a Children’s hospital or a General hospital with a pediatric floor) under the direction and observation of a Certified Child Life Specialist. Completing the internship allows you to take the certification exam. The Child Life Council (http://www.childlife.org/) provides the exam in order to be certified. The examination is made up of 150 multiple choice questions and can take up to four hours to complete. Once you pass this exam, certification is granted.

Last month I graduated from the University of Utah with my Bachelor’s of Science in Human Development and Family Studies with a Child Life Emphasis. Not many people are aware of what Child Life is all about. A brief description of the career might be something like, “Someone who takes care of children emotionally while they are in the hospital.” A meticulous explanation covers all the bases and facets, such as practicing family centered care, assessing the stress and risk potential of each patient and family, coping interventions tailored to the personality and unique needs of each patient, and developmentally appropriate play, just to name a few.  

With this blog I plan to cover information about Child Life, internships, certification, helpful articles, recommended reading, links, tools for parents, resources for patients, and any other information pertaining to the field of Child Life. If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see here, please let me know!