1 Division of Child Development, Children's Hospital, Boston
2 Wheelock College, Boston
This past May more than 250 members of the Child Life Council gathered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, for their annual conference and celebrated the fifth anniversary of the organization. Established in 1982 under the auspices of the Association for the Care of Children's Health, this young organization has grown steadily and now numbers nearly 700 members. In another indication of the development of the profession of child life, more than 300 individuals were granted certification as child life specialists in 1986/1987, the first year in which certification was available.
As the Child Life Council enters its second half-decade, and because the profession shows additional signs of maturation, it would be wise to reflect on the contributions made by this relatively new member of the pediatric health care team.