They provide children with age-appropriate preparation for medical procedures, pain management and coping strategies, and play and self-expression activities.
The Association for Child Life Professionals traces its origins to the Association for the Care of Children in Hospitals (ACCH), which was founded in 1967 by a group of early child life workers, who recognized the need for a large, multidisciplinary organization to effect positive change in hospital environments for children and families.
ACCH membership included doctors, nurses, child life specialists, parents and other health professionals working with children and families.
Over the next two decades, child life programs and CLC membership continued to grow, as the organization developed a variety of professional resources and official documents, including standards of educational preparation, requirements of professional competency, standards of clinical practice, and program review and development tools.
[5] As part of its 2015-2018 strategic plan, the Child Life Council undertook a process to rebrand in an effort to position the organization and its members for greater success.