Overview Of Child Life Council
Watch it Today!
NBC Nightly News honored the life and work of CLC member Myra D. Fox, Director of Child Life Services at Children's Hospital Boston, in a news feature that aired on April 9. Watch Now
Established as a nonprofit organization in 1982, the Child Life Council represents a group of trained professionals with expertise in helping children and their families overcome life’s most challenging events. The Child Life Council membership is composed of nearly 4,000 individuals representing more than 600 organizations worldwide. Our members include child life specialists, child life assistants, university educators and students, hospital administrators and staff, school teachers, therapeutic recreation specialists, and others in related fields.
Child Life Professionals
Child life specialists are experts in child development, who promote effective coping through play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities. They provide emotional support for families, and encourage optimum development of children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to healthcare and hospitalization. Understanding that a child’s wellbeing depends on the support of the family, child life specialists provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members. They also play a vital role in educating caregivers, administrators, and the general public about the needs of children under stress.
Top Resources
- Child Life Certification Candidate Manual
- Annual Conference Program
- EBP Statements
- Child Life Services Fact Sheet
- Child Life Month Tips & Tools
- AAP Policy Statement on Child Life
- Academic Program Self Review Tool
- Internship Program Self Review Tool
- Child Life Salary Survey
- Bulletin Archive (Members Only)
What's Happening?
Access Child Life ‘Standards of Clinical Practice’ Online! In response to recent member requests, “Standards of Clinical Practice,” the fourth chapter of Official Documents of the Child Life Council is now available to download in PDF format from The Child Life Profession section. Download Standards of Clinical Practice 
(3 pgs, 63 KB) now!