The Role of Child Life Specialists in Community Settings

While Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) were originally developed to support children in healthcare settings, their expertise is increasingly being applied in non-healthcare environments. The Role of Child Life Specialists in Community Settings explores how child life theory and practice can extend beyond hospitals to address children’s emotional, social, and developmental needs in diverse community contexts. The book also examines challenges facing the profession, including workforce saturation, burnout, and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, while highlighting opportunities to expand the field’s impact.

Key Features:

• Expansion Beyond Healthcare: Explores applications of child life principles in schools, disaster relief, addiction recovery, and family support.
• Professional Challenges: Addresses workforce issues such as burnout, field saturation, and DEI considerations.
• Practical Guidance: Provides strategies for applying child life education and certification in diverse community contexts.
• Focus on Wellbeing: Covers topics like grief, family resilience, and community-based child development.
• Target Audience: Ideal for psychologists, nurses, medical professionals, policymakers, researchers, instructors, students, and practitioners seeking to broaden child life practice.