Association of Child Life Professionals

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Association of Child Life Professionals

ACLP is the leading membership association serving child life professionals as they empower children

Child life specialists promote quality psychosocial care by providing age appropriate preparation for medical procedures, pain management and coping strategies, and play and self-expression activities. Understanding that a child’s welfare also depends on the support of the family, child life specialists provide information, support, and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members.

10/09/2026

Two upcoming ACLP webinars offer opportunities to explore different areas of child life practice this fall. 📚💙

Patients Become the Parent: Child Life in Fetal Health Center

Explore the role of child life in fetal health care, including psychosocial support, coping strategies, sibling support, bereavement care, and memory-making for patients and families navigating complex experiences.

Ethical Considerations in End-of-Life Keepsake Creation

Take a closer look at end-of-life keepsake creation through the lens of healthcare ethics, including justice, beneficence, non-maleficence, and autonomy, while considering how these principles can inform individualized and sustainable practices.

🎓 Each webinar offers 1.0 PDU.

Can’t attend live? Sessions will be available on demand in the ACLP Learning Center following the live events.

Learn more and register here: https://education.childlife.org/live-webinars

10/08/2026

Meet Dora Castro-Ahillen, CCLS, LCPC, ATR! 💙

With more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, Dora has dedicated her career to supporting children and families while helping expand access to child life services.

Dora currently serves as Child Life Manager at Northwestern Medicine, where she has spent the past 15 years growing a child life program that began with one full-time and one part-time child life specialist into a team of more than 10 child life specialists across multiple Northwestern Medicine sites.

Throughout her career, Dora has supported a variety of pediatric patient populations and has been deeply committed to education and mentorship. She helped develop an ACLP-accredited child life internship program, continues to serve as Child Life Internship Coordinator, and has helped mentor numerous child life students over the past decade.

Her work has also included expanding pediatric programming, contributing to process improvement initiatives, and supporting Central DuPage Hospital in becoming a ChildKind-accredited hospital.

An ACLP member since 2002, Dora remains committed to advancing the child life profession and supporting both practicing professionals and those preparing to enter the field.

We’re grateful for Dora’s leadership, mentorship and continued contributions to the child life community! 💙

10/07/2026

Fall can look a little different in child life. 🍂

As the seasons change, child life professionals find meaningful ways to bring familiar traditions, creativity, and moments of normalcy into the healthcare experience.

Whether it’s creating space for play or finding new ways to celebrate the season, these moments can help children and families stay connected to the experiences happening beyond the hospital walls. 🧡

10/06/2026

A new season is a great time to reconnect with community. 🍂🤎

The Members of Color Affinity Group offers a confidential space for ACLP members who identify as people of color to connect, share experiences, build relationships and support one another.

📅 Next meeting: TODAY, October 6 at noon CT
📧 Interested in joining? Email [email protected] to be added to the meeting invite.

We look forward to connecting with you this fall.

10/02/2026

Meet Alyssa Luksa, MSP-I/O, CCLS! 💙

With more than 26 years of experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist, Alyssa has built a career dedicated to supporting children and families while growing and strengthening child life and expressive therapy services.

Alyssa has spent the past 21 years at Children’s Memorial Hermann in Houston, where she has served across clinical settings including the NICU, day surgery, epilepsy monitoring unit and pediatric emergency department. Now Director of Operations, she oversees the Ronald McDonald House, volunteers, the Child Life and Expressive Therapies Team, and educational programming.

Throughout her career, Alyssa has helped expand child life and expressive therapy services, including growing a multidisciplinary team, extending child life support to the adult population at Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center and developing an artist-in-residence program in collaboration with Theatre Under The Stars.

An active ACLP member since 1996, Alyssa has contributed to multiple committees and currently serves as Treasurer on the ACLP Board of Directors.

We’re grateful for Alyssa’s continued leadership and commitment to the child life profession! 💙

10/01/2026

The future of ACLP is shaped by the child life professionals who bring their experience, perspectives, and ideas to the table. 💙

If there are changes you hope to see, conversations you want to contribute to, or ideas you believe could strengthen the child life community, consider how your perspective could make an impact through ACLP leadership.

Ready to take the next step? Learn more https://www.childlife.org/about/governance/board-of-directors/apply-for-the-board-of-directors

09/30/2026

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to recognize the contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace and the importance of inclusive professional communities.

ACLP’s Disability Affinity Group provides a space for child life professionals with disabilities to connect, share experiences, and build community with one another. The group’s next meeting is October 1, offering an opportunity to connect with fellow members during NDEAM.

This month, we recognize and celebrate the perspectives and contributions of professionals with disabilities across the child life community. 💙

09/29/2026

Gold star behavior: Certified Child Life Specialist edition. ⭐

It’s often the extra thought, care, and intention that can make an experience feel a little more personal for children and families.

Here’s to the child life professionals who find meaningful ways to go the extra mile. 💛

09/25/2026

Meet Katherine Bennett, M.Ed., CCLS! 👋

With more than two decades of experience as a child life specialist at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, Katherine brings a wealth of clinical, educational, and leadership experience to her work in the child life profession.

In her current role as Assistant Manager of Child Life Services, Katherine balances clinical practice in the NICU with staff supervision and departmental initiatives. She has also supported the development of emerging child life professionals through clinical training, onboarding, and education.

Throughout her career, Katherine has contributed to research and education through publications, conference presentations, teaching, and service to ACLP. She has held several volunteer and leadership roles, including serving as executive editor and associate editor of ACLP Bulletin, co-chairing the ACLP Internship Accreditation Task Force, and serving on the ACLP Board of Directors.

Outside of work, Katherine enjoys live music, vintage finds, and spending time with her husband, three daughters, and their dogs. 🐶

We’re grateful for Katherine’s continued contributions to the child life profession and her service to ACLP!

09/24/2026

Happening today! Join us for Immersive Tech for Pain and Anxiety Relief in Procedural Care at 12 p.m. CDT.

This session will explore how immersive virtual reality (VR) can be used as a procedural support tool in pediatric care, with a focus on supporting children during burn dressing changes. Attendees will learn about selecting and implementing VR, explore real-world clinical examples, and consider how preparation, therapeutic rapport, and child-led coping can be integrated into VR-supported care.

🎓 Earn 1.0 PDU
📅 Today, September 24
⏰ 12 p.m. CDT

Can't attend live? The webinar will be available on the ACLP Learning Center after the live session, so you can watch on your own time.

Register now to explore how immersive technology can become part of your child's life procedural toolkit.

Address

330 North Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL
60611

Telephone

+18002524515

Website

http://www.childlife.org/

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