Web links: child life resources

Thanks to the child life services departments of children's hospitals, an overnight stay for a child is no longer a guaranteed tramatic experience. Child life staff members will offer age-appropriate toys and games, tutors, special care when needed, and act as a shepherd through the hospital's myriad ways. Just as the doctors and nurses in a hospital make the young patients physically well, the child life staff works to make them as mentally healthy as possible. The information in these links help them do that.

AAP's policy on child life: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;118/4/1757/
Revised by the American Academy of Pediatrics in October 2006.

American Art Therapy Association: http://www.arttherapy.org/
Publishes the Art Therapy journal, as well as holds annual meetings.

American Music Therapy Association: http://www.musictherapy.org/
The AMTA advances the public awareness of music therapy.

Certification for the child life profession: http://childlife.org/Certification/index.cfm/
From the Child Life Council.

Child Life Blog: http://childlife.today.com/
Information on child life programs, news, and success stories.

Child Life Council: http://www.childlife.org/
A professional organization for child life specialists.

Child Life Institute: http://childlifeinstitute.org/index.cfm/
A nonprofit devoted to helping children with serious illnesses, and the hospitals that help them.

The Child Life Profession: http://www.childlife.org/The%20Child%20Life%20Profession/
A definition of the people-other than doctors and nurses-who take care of kids staying in the hospital.

Canadian Association of Child Life Leaders: http://www.cacll.org/
A professional organization from Canada.

CACPT: http://www.cacpt.com/
The Canadian Association for Child and Play Therapy.

CDC's Child Development page: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Delta Society: http://www.deltasociety.org/
Offers links to find animal-assisted therapy as well as animal-assisted activities.