I feel like it’s pretty common for people to discount play—thinking that it’s cute, maybe fun, but not vitally important or a truly profitable use of anyone’s time, regardless of age. As child life specialists, we can talk about play and its importance . . . but how often do we also fall into the […]
Importance of Play: A Reflection from Katie Nees Read More »
I find myself often rolling my eyes on the topic of Self-Care. Are you like me? I mean, we can all give that textbook answer. We can say that it is important and talk about how we practice it. But when it comes down to reality- when it really matters most . . . it
Self-Care: A Reflection from Katie Nees Read More »
We want to kick of this season of thankfulness by showing our gratitude for the CLDR Resources Task Force. The Resources Task force has worked throughout last year on gathering and examining all the various materials and literature available from a variety of sources. The goal has been to utilize child life expertise to select,
A Season for Thankfulness- Our Resources Task Force Read More »
The CLDR leadership team is taking time this November to consider all we are grateful for and our list continues to grow. We will be posting several posts on this theme of gratefulness this month- stay tuned! One thing we know for sure, we cannot do what we do without all of you. We are
A Season of Thankfulness #CLDRthankful Read More »
Due to the sensitive nature of the October 1st tragedy in Las Vegas, we have needed to handle public information-sharing differently than other disasters. However, we’d like to share a small part of the critical response deployment experience with you here: In total, our partner, Children’s Disaster Services sent out two critical response teams with
Las Vegas Critical Response Deployment Read More »
Bethany Petersen is a child life specialist at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Michigan. This is her deployment story: I remember sitting in the airport the morning of September 17th, not knowing what I would be walking into in the coming hours. I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of excitement and nervousness at the same
Bethany Petersen- Hurricane Irma Read More »
Our partner, Children’s Disaster Services has received an urgent request for two teams to work with the children affected by the devastating wildfires in Northern California. If you are certified with CDS and have availability to leave Tuesday or Wednesday for 7-14 days, please contact Kathy Fry-Miller ASAP at [email protected]. NOTE: This will be a
Northern California Fires- Call For Help Read More »
Lisa is a child life specialist who works for Quincy Community Schools in Michigan. Here is her deployment story: The need to be flexible started before I even got to the airport. I was signed up for a relief team for Harvey…. 2 days before deployment we got word that Red Cross wanted a Children’s
Lisa Crouch- Hurricane Irma Read More »
Our hearts are broken over the tragedy in Las Vegas. We also know that children near and far are affected, even if they are not directly connected to a victim or survivor. Click here for resources on how to talk to kids about this event, and join us in our support and prayers for those
Our Hearts are with Las Vegas Read More »
I’m home. Twelve days, four cities, and four shelters with Children’s Disaster Services. The thought that keeps weighing heavily on me as I quickly return to my normal life and routines is how many of the children and families I have spent time with over the past two weeks will not be experiencing this return
Karla Edwards- Hurricane Harvey Read More »