As pediatric healthcare continues to evolve, Child Life Specialists play a vital role in supporting the emotional, developmental, and psychological well-being of children and families. In 2026, the field is shaped by growing demand, workforce challenges, mental health integration, and innovation.
At Project Sunshine, our role is to bring play to kids facing healthcare challenges that meets their developmental needs. We work in partnership with the child life specialists, so play can be a tool for them to support children through extremely challenging situations.
Below are six defining trends in child life care this year, and how play can support their work.
Growing Demand Across Care Settings
Child Life Specialists are increasingly needed beyond inpatient hospitals. Across outpatient clinics, community health programs, schools, hospice and palliative care, their work shows a deeper understanding that psychosocial support and family-centered care is essential across the continuum of care, not just during hospitalization or treatment.
Play helps provide immediate, developmentally appropriate support across settings and helps children cope wherever care happens. But play is bigger than just the moment. Play is how children understand the world around them, build relationships and cope with illness.
Workforce Bottlenecks and Training Challenges
Demand for Child Life Specialists is rising, yet access to required internships and advanced training remains limited—stretching the current workforce thin.
Play can extend the reach of Child Life Specialists by supporting patients between visits so kids can be kids. It also reduces intensity of distress, allowing specialists to manage higher caseloads more effectively.
Workforce Resiliency and Burnout Prevention
Burnout and compassion fatigue remain major challenges. The profession is prioritizing continuing education, retention, sustainability, and advocacy.
More play reinforces that a healthcare environment can be a welcoming and safe space. It creates positive interactions and less intensity, as well as reduced emotional intensity of clinical encounters.
Play doesn’t just support children—expanding play opportunities helps child life professionals feel less stretched by the responsibility of reaching every child, easing the pressure to meet every need on their own.
Integration of Mental Health and Emotional Care
Child life is now deeply integrated into pediatric mental health care, addressing anxiety, trauma, and stress alongside physical treatment.
Play functions as a form of emotional regulation, a preventive mental health intervention and a way for children to process fear and regain control.
For specialists, this means preventative interventions, stronger coping skills, and less reliance on verbal processing alone.
Technology-Enhanced Child Life Practice
Telehealth, virtual reality, and digital tools are expanding access—but play keeps technology human.
Play-based technology can turn telehealth into engagement, not observation. It can allow children to safely rehearse medical experiences and better prepare them for what to expect. Through play, we’re increasing reach without sacrificing connection.
In 2026, play is not “extra.”
It is clinical care, workforce support, and a systems-level solution. When you support play, you support better mental health outcomes, stronger families and a more sustainable child life workforce.
%20(5).png)