Each March, Child Life Month offers an opportunity to celebrate the impact of child life specialists both within hospital walls and across the broader community. This year, professionals from a range of settings shared how they marked the month, from advocacy and education efforts to moments of connection with patients, families, and colleagues.
While each approach looks a little different, these snapshots reflect a shared commitment to supporting children and families through meaningful, compassionate care. Here’s a look at how Child Life Month was recognized across the field.
Mayo Clinic Children’s Center
“Mayo Clinic Children’s Child Life Team celebrates Child Life Month by coming together to host a professional development day for our team. This dedicated time allows us to learn, grow, and strengthen our practice as we continue supporting children and families with excellence and compassion.”
—Jenn Rodemeyer, MA, CCLS, Child Life Manager, Mayo Clinic Children’s Center
St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital
McMaster Children’s Hospital
“My colleague Hilary and I designed and created a display for our hospital to celebrate and raise awareness about the role of child life specialists and the impact of child life services, with the focus on pain management and coping.”
—Adrianna Campagna, Child Life Intern, McMaster Children’s Hospital
Sidra Medicine
“Child Life Month looks different in the Middle East and North Africa region this year. While we hope to celebrate soon, our team’s focus has been on supporting patients, families, and staff as they navigate the current regional conflict during the holy month of Ramadan. Our playrooms remain open as spaces for normalization and processing, and we hosted staff-focused expressive arts sessions to offer colleagues time for decompression and grounding. The Child Life Disaster Relief brochure on talking with children during war and conflict was shared in our internal hospital newsletter to help staff feel more prepared when supporting children both at work and at home. We are also grateful for colleagues abroad who reached out with messages of support, including teams from Logan Regional, Children’s Mercy, and Yale New Haven. Their kindness brought smiles and reminded us how thankful we are to be part of the broader child life community.”
—Deirdre Goltz, LCSW, CCLS, Child Life Services Supervisor, Sidra Medicine in Doha, Qatar
The University of Texas Medical Branch Clear Lake Hospital
Eastern Washington University
“This Child Life Month, at Eastern Washington University, we’ve been intentional about celebrating and elevating the child life profession across our Children’s Studies and Child Life programs. Through a dedicated social media campaign, we’re highlighting the profession itself—including the unique skill set child life specialists bring to their work—while also celebrating our faculty, current students, and alumni who embody this impact every day. We’ve also hosted a free webinar open to the broader community, creating space to share knowledge, amplify professional voices, and connect prospective students with the field. It’s been a meaningful opportunity to both celebrate the profession and inspire the next generation of child life specialists. Here is a photo of our child life graduate cohort after attending a child life speaker this month—a moment where we gathered to celebrate the field, them, and the opportunity to learn more about the profession they are passionate about pursuing.”
—Katie Walker, PhD, CCLS, Program Director and Associate Professor, Children’s Studies, and MA in Child Life, Eastern Washington University
HSC Children’s Hospital
“HSC Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg, Canada, marked Child Life Month with a Spirit Week featuring events like a weekly Teddy Bear Clinic, special guest visits, a gaming night, treats like slushies and popcorn, and a staff lunch. These celebrations not only highlighted our work as child life specialists but also helped make the hospital experience more positive and supportive for children and their families.”
—Sherry Treichel, Child Life Specialist, HSC Winnipeg