Helping Kids Cope? Yeah, It’s Kinda Our Thing

Who We Are, What We Do & Why It Matters

Child Life Specialists are specially trained clinicians who work to reduce trauma and anxiety associated with medical experiences and help kids develop positive coping strategies. According to the Association of Child Life Professionals, we play a critical role in supporting child health and wellness (and I couldn’t agree more!). Okay, but what does that actually mean? It means we break down the medical experience in a way kids can understand, helping them build their own toolkit for managing fear and pain.

Imagine being taken to a place that is completely unfamiliar, where people are saying words you don’t understand and doing things to you—sometimes painful things—without explanation. And you’re already sick, injured, or scared. We would never expect an adult to cope well with that, so why do we ask kids to?We need to explain why everything is happening, what to expect, and how to handle it. And it’s not as simple as crouching down and saying, “You’re going to be fine.” It’s about understanding a child’s developmental stage, stressors, and support system—and tailoring our approach accordingly.

We Wear A Lot of Hats—But We Wear ‘em Well!

We take this work seriously. We don’t just show up and dive in—we train for years to do what we do. That means earning an undergraduate degree (at minimum) in child development, psychology, or a related field, completing a hands-on clinical internship, and passing the Child Life Certification exam. And speaking of that exam, it is administered by the Child Life Certification Commission, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit responsible for overseeing the Certified Child Life Specialist credential program.

Our expertise spans family systems, developmental psychology, grief, trauma, and pain management. But what we actually do varies based on where we work:

• Emergency Department: Meeting families at their most vulnerable, preparing kids for procedures, and making the environment feel less scary.
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Providing hand hugs and positioning support for infants getting a PICC line, or using developmental play to help little ones reach important milestones.
• Peri-Operative Units (like, Radiology): Prepping kids for procedures, developing coping plans, and providing real-time support.
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Adjusting sensory environments for sedated patients or those on cognitive rest.
• Medical-Surgical & Oncology Units: Helping kids and families navigate new diagnoses and long-term treatments.
• Adult Intensive Care Unit: Supporting children whose parents are critically ill, including breaking tough news and facilitating hospital visits.

No matter where we are, our work is deeply rooted in advocacy. We guide kids and families through some of life’s toughest moments, ensuring they feel supported, informed, and empowered. But to do this well, we need resources—and that’s where the Meg Foundation comes in.

Meg Foundation + Child Life: A Perfect Match

Now that you know exactly what a Child Life Specialist does, let’s talk about our love affair with The Meg Foundation. Like all great modern relationships, it started online.

We’re always looking for the best resources to help kids navigate medical procedures with less fear, less pain, and way more confidence. Because here’s the thing—pain is complicated, and it shows up in so many ways:

• Needle-sticks (vaccines, blood draws, IVs—you name it!)
• Post-op pain and treatment-related discomfort
• Chronic pain that just won’t quit
• Pain or discomfort from medications, injuries, or the “we don’t know why it hurts” pain
• Anxiety-driven pain (because, as Rady Children’s Hospital explains, stress and pain are basically besties—and not in a good way)

The list goes on. And on. And on. And if we aren’t doing our absolute best to keep distress and anxiety in check, pain just gets worse—for kids, for families, and for the providers trying to help them.

So, when my institution needed a better way to support kids and shift the culture around pain management, I turned to the internet’s favorite rabbit hole: Google. And boom—there was the Meg Foundation, with a whole collection of evidence-based resources designed to make pain management easier, more effective, and (dare I say it?) even a little fun.

A perfect match? Without a doubt.

Comfort, Confidence, and Control: We Understand the Assignment

Before I get into why we swiped right on Meg, let me dive a little deeper into one of the biggest pillars of Child Life work: making medical experiences as comfortable and pain-free as possible.

Will we ever eliminate pain completely? Probably not—but if someone figures out how, we can all retire to the South of France and eat baguettes and cheese for breakfast. But until then, we put our training into action and focus on what we can control:

• Lower anxiety → Because when stress goes down, pain perception does too
• Explain what’s happening → Knowledge is power (especially for kids!)
• Give kids choices → Because control = confidence, and confidence is everything

Pain isn’t just a physical sensation—it’s shaped by biology, psychology, and social factors. We call that the Biopsychosocial Model of Pain in the biz, and understanding it—this is true for all parties involved—helps us change the experience for kids. The more control they feel and the more they understand what’s happening, the better their outcomes. It’s science.

So, at the end of the day, pain management isn’t just about the feeling of pain—it’s about power. When we empower kids and families to take charge of their experience, we set them up for success—not just in the moment, but in every medical experience they’ll have in the future.

And that’s exactly why we swiped right on Meg—they get it. They understand that pain isn’t just a physical sensation, that empowerment changes everything, and that kids deserve better.

Must-Have Tools that Get the Job Done

While I never get tired of telling that origin story, I’d be totally remiss if I didn’t shout from every rooftop about the Meg Foundation’s tools. These resources are seriously awesome—likely sprinkled with equal parts fairy dust and unicorn glitter level of awesome. (Just kidding… kind of.) That awesomeness? It’s science. Similar to magic, but real.

So where can you find these fabulous, science-backed pain-busting tools? The Meg Foundation website, of course!

Child Life Specialists have been turning to Meg’s resources for years now to help minimize pain and distress. And lucky for us, they’ve curated an evidence-based, expert-approved resource hub packed with free, easy-to-use materials like:

Oh, and by the way—many of these resources are available in other languages (Meg currently offers materials in 9, and counting!). And they are Free. Yes, free! For anyone. Because the Meg Foundation believes that every child and family deserves access to pain management strategies—and that includes the professionals advocating for them.

It Takes a Village—And We’ve Got a Great One

Watching kids experience avoidable pain is heartbreaking. It’s also one of the biggest drivers of burnout in child life specialists, nurses, and healthcare providers. And the REACH Institute backs this up—burnout is real, and avoidable pain doesn’t help. We do this work because we care—and when barriers get in the way of reducing suffering, it takes a toll.

The Meg Foundation helps us break down those barriers. Their tools support our babies, kids, teens, and families every single day. Because let’s be real—it takes a village to do this work. And Child Life Specialists are incredibly lucky to have the Meg Foundation in ours.

Want to learn more? Check out The Meg Foundation’s free resources and start mastering the pain experience today.