The Child Life staff is composed of child development specialists with masters and doctoral level training in early child development, education, and psychology.

In programs centered on the patient's medical visit, Child Life staff identifies, evaluates and manages developmental, behavioral and parenting issues. This may take the form of observations of play and feedback to parents while they are waiting to see the doctor, or of conducting peer support / group counseling sessions for adolescents or parents.

Child Life staff provides this type of support and input in primary care clinics, and in specialized, interdisciplinary programs in the Service for adolescent parents, elective surgery preoperative preparation, the management of asthma, diabetes, ADHD, behavior / child development, low birth weight infants, HIV, and for other specialty care. They also have been instrumental in developing and operating our Early Intervention and Reach Out and Read Programs.