A special thank you to Shani Thornton (aka Childlifemommy.com) for sharing so many of her resources with me.
Articles
The Importance of Play in Child Development: American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Pediatrics Statement on Screentime
The Crucial Role of Recess at School
How your child can be safely sedated for a medical procedure
Dealing With Death: Affects of Grief & Loss on Mental Health
Blogs
http://investigatingchoicetime.com/
Products
https://www.playopolistoys.com/
https://www.playtherapysupply.com/
http://getspellboundbooks.com/
Child Life Profession
Baby in Mind– Child life private practice, face to face educational training, continuing education through webinars.
Bank Street College of Education– Graduate Programs in Child Life, Education, Literacy, Museum Education, Dual Language and Infant and Family Development. They also have amazing workshops, speakers and opportunities for professional development
Child Life Council– Information on the child life profession, how to become a specialist and additional resources for parents and caregivers.
Child Life Disaster Relief– A team of certified child life specialists working to expand child life services into the field of disaster relief through partnerships.
Standish Foundation for Child & Family Centered Healthcare– Making hospitals happier places for kids, by providing child life curriculum and training to doctors, nurses and administrative staff.
The Convenient Classroom– Online courses in preparation for the child life exam and webinars for continuing education.
The Discovery-Rethink Breast Cancer has collaborated with a CCLS to create animation videos to teach kids about their mother’s diagnosis, treatment and living with breast cancer.
Vilas Playroom Assessment Rubric VIPAR– Online assessment tool for your playroom, to measure if it is meeting the needs of all pediatric patients and families.
Organizations & Donors
Ariella’s Friendship Circle– The friendship Circle is a world-wide organization that links teens in the community with children with special needs. They have opportunities for special events and activities where they get a chance to socialize and build strong friendships.
ArtWorks The Naomi Cohain Foundation– Providing creative art programs to children and families facing chronic and life threatening illnesses. Based in the New York and New Jersey area.
Child Life Technology– Supports the application of technology to child life specialists.
Child Life Wish List.org– They help fund child life programs and bring awareness to the field.
Children’s Wish Foundation International– Non-profit wish granting organization.
ComfyCozy’s For Chemo– They design T-shirts with zippers, pockets and slits to allow access to chest-ports without exposing the child’s body and to allow for storing of the IV lines preventing tangling and pulling on their clothing.
Health Care Toolbox– Guide to helping children and families cope with illness and injury.
Hope Has Fun– Brings resources (comfort items, toys, entertainment) to families and children in the hospital.
Make a Wish Foundation– Giving wishes to children with a life threatening illness.
Project Sunshine– Non-profit organization that provides free educational, recreational, and social programs to children and families living with medical challenges.
Sara’s Smiles Foundation– Non-profit organization that provides resources for children and families battling and surviving cancer.
Starlight Children’s Foundation– An amazing program offering families and children support and coping strategies through technology.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp– A fantastic organization that provides summer camps and programs to families coping with health challenges.
Team Impact– A non-profit organization connecting children with a life threatening illness with a college athletic team. The kids become part of the team, attending practices, games and team meetings.
The Jared Box Project– This is a non-profit organization, in honor of Jared, a young boy who died from cancer. He coped with his treatments and exams with a backpack full of toys and activities. The Jared Box Project works with schools, girl scouts and team organizations to create show box sized containers filled with toys to be delivered to children in hospitals throughout the country.
Wish Upon A Teen– This non-profit was created by a CCLS to help empower adolescents facing health challenges.
V.I.P. Hospital Productions– An amazing organization that makes customized books and movies for children and teens in the hospital.
Online Medical Resources
Centre For Pediatric Pain Research– Provides information to healthcare providers and parents on pediatric pain management.
Kids Health– Great site for medical information broken down into three categories; Parents, Teens and Kids
Medline Plus– Great source for looking up reliable information on medical needs.
Bereavement Programs
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep– Nonprofit organization that provides families with a gift of professional remembrance photographs of the loss of a baby.
The Center for H.O.P.E. Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center of Ne York offers amazing bereavement services to children and families.
The Dougy Center– National organization offering resources for families and children dealing with grief.
What’s Your Grief?– Information about grief, support for caregivers and professionals.