Masters in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care - McMaster University

10/01/2026

We’re excited to celebrate Sarah Patterson and Cathy Humphreys joining CanChild as Associate Members! 🌟

Sarah and Cathy's work in pediatric psychosocial care, child disability, simulation-based education, and emotional safety aligns closely with our program’s commitment to supporting children, youth, and families.

We’re proud to see our faculty connecting with and contributing to such a strong multidisciplinary community, and we look forward to the collaborations and opportunities this brings!

09/23/2026

09/23/2026

The Accessibility in Healthcare Workshop organizing team at McMaster is hosting an IPE workshop on October 19th focused on building the knowledge and skills needed to provide accessible, inclusive care to patients with disabilities.

We’re looking for volunteers to help us plan and run the event. Whether you can help behind the scenes or on the day of the event, we’d love to have you involved!

If you’re interested in volunteering, please sign up using the following form by September 25th! https://forms.gle/qFtNLEif6XAz2H4Y7
Accessibility in Healthcare IPE Workshop Volunteer Application

09/22/2026

🎓 Curious about a career in child life and pediatric psychosocial care?

Join us for the 2026 Virtual Open House for McMaster University’s Master of Science in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care (CLPPC) Program!

Discover what makes our program unique and learn more about:

✨ Our innovative graduate program
🧸 Child life and pediatric psychosocial care practice
🎓 Program structure, courses, and learning opportunities
💬 What it’s like to be a CLPPC student
❓ Admissions and the application process
👋 Meet members of our program community and get your questions answered!

📅 Tuesday, November 3, 2026
⏰ 12:00–1:00 p.m. EST
💻 Virtual

Whether you’re exploring child life for the first time or already know this is the path you want to pursue, we’d love to meet you!

👉 Registration is now open!

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=B2M3RCm0rUKMJSjNSW9HclMd1ZJ9JztLgH0UhVUWmkZUMFE3NEVPMThaV1pFQjNQVU81QkY5RjBBVC4u&route=shorturl

07/22/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Sarah Patterson and Allison Riggs Sohanlal on achieving tenure! This well-deserved milestone recognizes their outstanding contributions to teaching, scholarship, leadership, and the advancement of child life education.

We also extend our congratulations to Sarah Patterson on her promotion to Assistant Dean. This exciting new role is a testament to her exceptional leadership and commitment to excellence in higher education.

We are incredibly proud to celebrate these remarkable achievements and look forward to all that they will continue to accomplish. Congratulations! 👏🎉 McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences

07/08/2026

A new pilot study tested the CHILD-BRIGHT Network MyREADY Transition™ BBD App, a digital tool designed to help youth aged 15–17 with brain-based disabilities (including autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and spina bifida) prepare for the transition to adult healthcare.

While qualitative feedback suggested the app's content was seen as relevant and useful, recruitment and sustained engagement proved challenging. On average, participants completed less than one-third of the app's curriculum. Importantly, the study generated valuable insights for future research: youth, caregivers, and healthcare providers all emphasized the need for tailored, collaborative, and motivating approaches to transition preparation, pointing to the importance of customizable digital tools that reflect the diverse needs of youth with brain-based disabilities. Despite the challenges, this pilot lays important groundwork for refining digital transition supports and designing more effective trials in this space.

🌟 CanChild Co-Authors: Jan Willem Gorter, Barb Galuppi, Sonya Strohm, Linda Nguyen, Connie Putterman, Donna Thomson and Lonnie Zwaigenbaum

🔗 Read the publication here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949923226000176

07/08/2026

Hi everyone!! We are looking for professionals who would like to participate! Please send us a message if you are interested!

07/07/2026

Dr. Leora Kuttner is a true icon in the world of pediatric pain. A clinical psychologist, researcher, and scholar, she has spent decades changing how the world thinks about children and pain.

Her research on hypnosis and psychological approaches to pediatric pain helped build the foundation that organizations like ours stand on. She didn’t wait for the field to catch up — she pulled it forward. We are so lucky to have her as a part of Team Meg!

Learn about her work and why it matters. https://na2.hubs.ly/H05dpbg0

07/07/2026

Now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 ACLP Mentorship Program.

Apply as a mentor to share your experience, grow your leadership skills, and make a lasting impact on the next generation of child life professionals.
Apply as a mentee to gain guidance, confidence, and community as you navigate your career.

Applications are open through June 29—don’t miss your chance to be part of this year’s program. https://www.childlife.org/education/mentorship-program

07/07/2026

🎉 Start your engagement journey with the Family Engagement In Research Course!

Be part of a community that values different perspectives, meaningful partnerships, and real-world impact.

📅 The FER Course is now accepting applications for cohorts:
✅ September 2026
✅ January 2027

⏰ The deadline to apply is July 17th, 2026

✨ Learn more: https://canva.link/fer2026-2027
🔗 Apply: https://redcap.link/FER26-27

Spots are limited—don’t miss your chance to be part of this incredible learning community!