“Working with What You Have:” Child Life Group Play Programs in North America

Abstract

Since the early twentieth century, group play programs have been a staple offering in children’s hospitals across North America, however little research to date has explored or evaluated these programs. Therefore, the purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to describe child life specialists’ experiences coordinating and contributing to group play programs in healthcare settings across North America. Interview responses from 32 Certified Child Life Specialists clustered around four emerging themes: (1) “working with what you have,” (2) assessing patient and family needs, (3) implementing the group play program, and (4) intended benefits of group play programs. Thus, organizational supports, adequate funding, individualized assessment, and appropriate staffing appear instrumental to the creation, implementation, and maintenance of child life group play programs in pediatric healthcare settings.