Division of Child Life Celebrates 75th Anniversary
The Division of Child Life at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2006.
Child life works to minimize stress and maximize coping for pediatric patients and families within the hospital system. Child life specialists have many different roles within the hospital environment, from normalizing the environment with play and activities to preparing patients for medical procedures, providing support during medical procedures, and bereavement support for patients and families facing the death of a loved one.
How We Began
Although there had been previous voluntary efforts for recreation as early as 1890, organized recreation services with paid staff began in 1931. At this time, it became just the second children's hospital in the United States to create such a program.
Most of the history of the early days was passed down by oral tradition, primarily through Mae Bellinger Williams, a long-time employee from the 1940s. Ann Dorsey and Pat O'Reilly were prominent participants, leaders and teachers, with strong links to the Department of Education at the University of Cincinnati. Lair Greenfield Ries held the directorship for the longest duration, 1969 – 1992. Sharon McLeod, MS, CCLS, CTRS, has been director of the Division of Child Life since 1992.
Over 20 scrapbooks record the Division of Child Life's history from the 1950s on. In the 1960s, the staff of four included a director, a librarian, and two assistants. Student nurses, as well as volunteers, pitched in to help meet the needs of the patients. How many of us remember the lone faithful schoolteacher, Kathleen Dauterich, who taught in the hospital classroom from the 1950s well into the 1980s?
Highlights from this time include visits by local TV personalities, including:
- Uncle Al
- Captain Wendy
- Ruth Lyons and Bob Braun
- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Elephants from the Cincinnati Zoo
- Roy Rogers
- Broderick Crawford
- Cincinnati Reds baseball players and coaches
- Spiderman
- Santa Claus
- Many others
Additional activities included field trips, crafts in the Davy Crocket house on the west lawn, a real fish pond in the solarium, a wading pool, hamsters, birds, holiday parties, and even haircuts for the patients. The increased attention to infection control precautions brought an end to some of these typical childhood activities in the 1980s.
Child Life Today
Today, the Division of Child Life at Cincinnati Children's has a staff of 78 individuals including over 56 FTEs, consisting of:
- Senior clinical director
- Clinical manager
- Clinical education coordinator
- ED clinical coordinator
- Certified child life specialists
- Recreational therapist
- School teachers
- Clinical assistants
- Administrative assistants
Child Life continues to enjoy support from many volunteers and Foster Grandparents. Staff provide developmentally appropriate activities, education, preparation and support for patients and families in all inpatient areas and many specialized areas, including Emergency Department, Hospice, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Same Day Surgery, Radiology, and multiple outpatient clinics. A strong child life internship program and a new fellowship program help develop child life professionals of the future. This department was also one of the first child life programs in the country to offer clinical advancement opportunities for child life staff in 1992.
As the Division of Child Life has grown, many family-centered activities continue to be offered throughout the year. In addition to special events and visitors, the department coordinates holiday parties, birthday and last treatment celebrations, sibling support programs, pet therapy visits, monthly Family Movie Nights and Family Activity Nights. Please join in celebrating our history and our 75th anniversary of minimizing stress and maximizing coping.
