Child life workers: who are they and what are they doing?

The survey responses from 152 U.S. and Canadian Child Life Programs are presented to describe the backgrounds of Child Life workers and the services they are currently offering to pediatric patients and their families. The majority of Child Life workers tend to be females with training in Child Development, Education, or Recreation Therapy. Although there is variation between Child Life Programs versus those with other titles, the "core" activities of Child Life workers tend to be supervising the activity room, preparing patients/families for medical and surgical procedures, and attending interdisciplinary meetings. The survey findings are used to raise questions for consideration in the further development of the Child Life profession.