The Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) defines endorsement of academic programs in child life as an assurance that a program meets the standards and requirements set forth in the Standards for Academic and Clinical Preparation Programs found in the most current Official Documents of the ACLP. Endorsement is a voluntary process of self-study and external review intended to evaluate, enhance, and publicly recognize academic programs which meet the standards prescribed by ACLP. The purpose of this process is to promote the interests of students through improving the quality of teaching, learning, and professional practice.
Students graduating from an endorsed program during the period of endorsement will still need to complete an eligibility assessment with ACLP, but will not need to have each course reviewed as endorsement signifies inclusion of all areas of the coursework requirements. This means students graduating from an endorsed program during the period of endorsement have the assurance that their coursework satisfies the 2019 coursework requirements for exam eligibility. Students who have graduated from or are enrolled in an ACLP-endorsed academic program during the period of endorsment must contact the ACLP office in order to start their Eligibility Assessment.