Child Life Professional
Certification Maintenance and
Recertification Manual
Child Life Certifying Committee
A Standing Committee of the Association of Child Life Professionals
Publication Date November 2015
All of the information in this document and any updates can be
found in the certification section of our Web site at
www.childlife.org.
Child Life Certifying Committee
Association of Child Life
Professionals
1820 Ft. Myer Drive, Suite 520
Arlington, VA 22209
Phone: 571-483-4500
Fax: 571-483-4482
E-mail: [email protected]
Child Life Professional Certification Maintenance and Recertification Manual
Table of Contents
Quick Reference Section
i
Summary of Changes Effective January 2015
FAQs
Questions to consider for Activity Types (Figures 1-6)
iii
v
vii
The Value of the Certification Credential in Child Life Services
viii
Part I: Introduction
1
Part II: Definitions
1
The Child Life Certifying Committee
The Certified Child Life Specialist Credential
Competence
Continuing competence
Exam Content Outline
1
1
2
2
2
Purpose of Recertification
2
Requirements and Expectations
2
Use of CCLS Credential and Misrepresentation of Certification
2
Revocation of Child Life Specialist Certification
3
The Certification Cycle
3
Release of Testing and Certification Information
3
Certification Statuses
4
Part III: Maintaining Certification
4
Code of Professional Practice
Certification Maintenance Fees
Reinstatement
FAQs
4
4
6
7
Part III: Recertification
8
General Information
Deadlines
Recertification Fees
8
8
8
Recertification Through Examination
Eligibility
Submitting an Application to Recertify Through Exam
i
9
9
9
Page 3
Recertification Through Professional Development Units (PDUs)
What is a PDU?
Dates for PDU Accrual
Pre-approval of PDU Activities
Availability of PDU Activities/Assistance Obtaining PDU Activities
10
10
10
10
11
Content Requirements
11
IMPORTANT NOTES
Calculation of PDUs
Internet-Based Activity Requirements
Recorded Session Requirements
Documentation of PDUs
12
12
13
13
13
Acceptable Activity Types
14
Traditional professional development (conferences, classes, etc.)
Calculating Traditional Professional Development PDUs
Required Documentation for Traditional Professional Development
Independent Learning
Calculating Independent Learning PDUs
Required Documentation for Independent Learning
Presenting
Calculating Presenting PDUs
Required Documentation for Presenting
Fieldwork supervision
Calculating Internship Supervision PDUs
Required Documentation for Internship Supervision
Publishing
Calculating Publishing PDUs
Required Documentation for Publishing
Professional service
Calculating Professional Service PDUs
Required Documentation for Professional Service
17
17
17
18
18
18
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
20
20
21
21
21
Random Audit
21
Appeal of Recertification and Audit Results
22
Reporting PDUs
23
Appendices
Statements of Understanding
Reinstatement Application
PDU Verification Form
PDU Activity Chart
Exam Content Outline
Definition of Internship Supervision Roles
Application to Recertify through Professional Development Units
24
25
26
27
29
30
31
ii
Child Life Professional Certification Maintenance and Recertification Manual
Quick Reference Section
2. The number of units required over the course of the
five-year certification cycle has increased from 50 to
60.
Summary of Changes Effective
January 2015
In 2011 a Recertification Task Force was established by ACLP to 1) assess the practice of child
In light of the benchmarking study conducted by the task
life, 2) review the policies for recerforce and the expansion of the means of actification and compare them to
cruing professional development, the numThis summary is
those of other professions, and
ber of required PDUs has increased to 60
provided as an
3) make recommendations that
over the course of the five-year certification
overview;
will promote the continuing comcycle. This is equivalent to one hour per
please read this entire
petence of Certified Child Life Spedocument carefully for month over the course of the certification
cialists.
cycle.
important details
The task force conducted a benchof the revised
3. PDUs must be earned in each of the
marking study to examine how
recertification
three domains of the Exam Content Outother certifying bodies approach
requirements.
line (Appendix IV).
the objective of promoting continuing competence. The analysis led
CCLSs are required to retain, at a minimum, the
the task force to retain the option for CCLSs to
level of competence required at initial certification which
recertify by re-taking the certification exam and
includes assessment in each of three professional domains
to endorse more specific and rigorous requireas defined by the Practice Analysis Study. As such, CCLSs
ments for recertification through professional
who elect to recertify through professional development are
development. In line with these changes, the
now required to participate in learning activities related to
task force also recommended allowing additioneach of the three domains.
al types of activities for the accrual of the required hours.
Certificants choosing the PDU option for recertification must
earn a minimum of 60 PDUs withinMinimum
their five-year
Numbercertificaof
The following recommendations were approved
tion
cycle. Of these, a minimum number
relate to each
Domain
PDUs must
Required
by the ACLP Board of Directors:
domain of the Exam Content Outline as follows:
1. Professional Responsibility
15 PDUs
1. The unit of measure for professional development has been changed from Profes2. Assessment
20 PDUs
sional Development Hours (PDHs) to Professional Development Units (PDUs).
3. Intervention
15 PDUs
It was determined that the unit of measurement must be updated because several new
methods for accruing professional development
did not fit into the traditional method of assigning credit. The number of PDUs that can be
earned for different activity types varies. While
one PDU is still earned by participating in one
hour of traditional professional development,
the calculation of PDUs for other activity types
such as publishing are not based on clock hours.
The methods for determining the number of
PDU credits earned are defined in the PDU Activity Chart (Appendix III) and on page 12.
The remaining 10 PDUs may align with any of the three domains at the discretion of the CCLS.
4. PDUs must be earned in Professional Ethics
The “Professional Ethics” subdomain (Professional Responsibility Domain, Task 1) is considered to be of such importance
that all candidates for recertification are required to earn
PDUs in this area. Of the 15 PDUs required in the Profesiii
Child Life
Quick Reference Section (Continued)
sional Responsibility Domain a minimum of 5 PDUs
must be related to Task 1, Professional Ethics.
5. New activity types have been approved
umentation for each PDU activity is listed on the PDU Activities Chart (Appendix III) and on pages 17-22.
The PDU Verification Form (Appendix III) is accepted as documentation for many activity types and is the required documentation method for others. The form must be completed by the recertification candidate’s supervisor or an appropriate representative of the organization sponsoring the
activity.
The following activity types are now accepted for professional development activities:






Traditional professional development (conference
sessions, college courses, workshops, seminars)
Independent study
Presenting
Internship supervision
Publishing
Professional service
Who is affected by the new requirements?
The new requirements are effective as of January 1, 2015.
Therefore:
Within these categories, different activities earn a corresponding number of PDUs. Some of these activities
have been limited to a specific number of PDUs within
the five-year certification cycle to prevent applicants
from acquiring a limited range of professional development.



6. A new deadline has been established
The deadline has changed from June 30 to October 31
of the year in which certification expires. No late applications will be accepted.
7. New documentation requirements have been
adopted
CCLSs are required to maintain records verifying their
participation in each PDU submitted for recertification
and may be asked to provide these documents to the
Child Life Certifying Committee (CLCC). Each of the
defined PDU activity types has at least one acceptable
form of documentation. The appropriate form of doc-
Date Certified
or Recertified
Due Date for
Recertification
through PDUs
2010
October 31, 2015
2011
October 31, 2016
2012
October 31, 2017
2013
October 31, 2018
2014
October 31, 2019
2015
October 31, 2020
All CCLSs newly certified in 2015 or later are subject to
all of the new requirements outlined in this manual.
CCLSs who recertify in 2015 or subsequent years are
subject to all of the new requirements outlined in this
manual in their next certification cycle.
“Grandfathering” - All other CCLSs are permitted to
obtain PDUs through the newly-approved activity types,
but will not be required to meet the new requirements
until their current certification cycle expires. In other
words, these CCLSs will be bound by the requirements
in place at the time of the start of their certification cycle AND they will be permitted to count the new activity
types toward recertification. Note that for this group of
CCLSs only, the number of PDUs earned for college
courses will be calculated based on the number of educational contact hours (in-class time).
Note: former CCLSs who allowed their certification to lapse
or expire and re-gain the credential after January 1, 2015
will be required to meet all of the new requirements at the
Number of
PDUs
Required
New Activity
New
Domain
Types
Deadline
Requirements
Allowed
Applies
50
No
Yes
Yes
60
Yes
Yes
Yes
iv
Child Life Professional Certification Maintenance and Recertification Manual
Quick Reference Section (Continued)
sessions beyond those offered by Child Life Council. Due to
the complexity of this task and the limited resources of CLCC,
it was determined that a project of this magnitude cannot be
undertaken at this time.
Pre-approval of PDU Activities
All professional development sessions offered by
CLC (webinars and annual conference educational
sessions) are pre-approved unless otherwise noted.
Availability of PDU Activities/Assistance Obtaining PDU Activities
All other professional development activities will not
be pre-approved by CLCC or CLC staff. Please read
this manual in its entirety for information on the
suitability of learning opportunities.
The Recertification Task Force was also charged with investigating ways to assist CCLSs in obtaining the required professional development. It is believed that the increased number
of acceptable activity types will help relieve some of the difficulties that certain populations experience when searching
for development activities.
One of the charges of the Recertification Task Force
was to determine the feasibility of a process whereby CLCC would pre-approve PDU providers and/or
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the new requirements apply to me?
If you are certified in 2015 or later, all of the new requirements apply to you.
If you were certified or recertified in 2014 or earlier,
with the exception of the new application deadline the
new requirements will not apply to you until your next
certification cycle. You may, however, use the new
activity types to earn PDUs.
Why are the rules changing?
The requirements are changing to bring them in line
with industry standards and to promote continuing
competence in those who recertify.
What is a PDU?
PDHs?
What happened to
Professional development units (PDUs) are the new
measurement of continuting education. Because of
the new activity types adopted, the unit of measure
for professional development had to change. Not all
professional development will be accrued in terms of
hours.
v
Do the PDHs I’ve accrued count toward
PDUs?
Yes, PDHs which are counted based on clock hours will
translate 1-for-1 to PDUs. In other words, 1 PDH = 1 PDU.
How will I know if [a session] will be accepted?
All professional development sessions offered by CLC
(webinars and annual conference educational sessions) are
pre-approved unless otherwise noted.
All other professional development activities will not be
pre-approved by CLCC or CLC staff. Please read this manual in its entirety for information on the suitability of learning opportunities.
With the limited resources of CLCC, it is simply not feasible
to maintain a list of acceptable PDU opportunities or to pre
-approve PDU providers.
Child Life Professional Certification Maintenance and Recertification Manual
Quick Reference Section (Continued)
Eligibility for recertification may not be established if:
For the professional responsibility domain, can I get all the 15 required
from ethics or am I required to get at
least 10 from the non-ethics areas of
Domain 1?



You may earn all 15 PDUs for the professional responsibility domain in task 1, professional ethics if you
choose.
Why might my application not be accepted?





Applicant fails to meet deadlines
Application form is incomplete or illegible
Appropriate supporting documentation is not
submitted, if requested
Submitted materials do not show that the
candidate meets the minimum requirements
Correct fees are not received
Verification documents do not give complete
information
There is evidence of tampering with documentation
Recommended by the Ethics Committee
What happens if my application is
not accepted?
Candidates whose applications do not meet the
minimum requirement will be notified by mail and
will be issued a refund for the recertification fee,
minus a $25 processing fee.
Am I required to earn PDUs in each
of the exam content outline domain?
If you are certified in 2015 or later, all of the new
requirements apply to you. You must accrue
PDUs from each of the three domains as detailed
on page 11.
If you were certified or recertified in 2014 or
earlier, you are not required to accrue PDUs in
each domain until your next certification cycle.
For your current cycle only, there are no domainspecific requirements.
vi
Since PDUs for academic coursework
will be verified by a college/university
transcript, does this need to be an official transcript issued by the registrar's
office?
An official transcript is not required for this purpose.
For Presenting or co-presenting a professional in-service training, instruction, or guest lecture, what is an
"attendance record?
A sign-in sheet is acceptable documentation for this
type of presentation
The new activity types allow CCLSs to
earn PDUs for supervising students, but
does not allow Internship Coordinators to obtain PDUs this way. What if
the Internship Coordinator is ALSO directly supervising a student?”
If a CCLS is acting in both capacities, the hours spent in
direct supervision can be counted for PDUs. The remaining hours spent coordinating the internship may
not.
Figure 1—Questions to consider for activity types
vii
Figure 2—Questions to consider for activity types
viii
Fig
iv
Figure 4—Questions to consider for activity types
x
Figure 5—Questions to consider for activity types
xi
Figure 6—Questions to consider for activity types
xii
The Value of the Certification Credential in Child Life Services
A Position Statement of the Child Life Council, Inc.
The Child Life Profession
The profession of child life exists to promote optimal development of infants, children, youth and family members and to minimize
psychological trauma in children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly related to health care and hospitalization. The American Academy of Pediatrics affirms that child life is “an essential component of quality pediatric health care,” and as
such, child life services have become a standard in most pediatric hospital settings. (American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on
Hospital Care. (2006) Child life services. Pediatrics, 106, 1156-1159)
Professionals in child life have expertise in helping children and their families overcome life’s most challenging events. Using play
and psychological preparation as primary tools, child life interventions facilitate coping and adjustment at times and under circumstances that might otherwise prove overwhelming to children and families. The primary roles of a child life professional include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enhance the adjustment of children and families to health care experiences and other difficult life encounters using play and a
variety of therapeutic techniques.
Prepare children both cognitively and emotionally for medical and other demanding life events in language they can understand
and in a manner which helps to alleviate anxiety and stress.
Teach coping skills, including distraction techniques and relaxation exercises, to reduce the potential for negative reactions to
health care experiences and other life distresses.
Assess, monitor and enhance developmental skills across the life continuum, especially for children and youth who are exposed
to situations which put them at risk for developmental interruption, such as hospitalization and chronic illness.
Through the provision of these services, child life improves the health care experience for pediatric patients and their families, reduces stress and uncertainty, and helps create an environment in which medical services can be delivered more smoothly and efficiently.
Standards of Practice for Child Life
The primary professional association for child life is the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP). ACLP is an international organization that represents the profession of child life, and has an established mission, values, standards of clinical practice and a code of
ethics for the profession. The standards of clinical practice include:
 Promote psychosocial care at the highest professional level
 Define the function of child life services
 Establish professional expectations for the administration and implementation of child life services
 Provide guidance for organizations and individuals in developing child life programs and services
Credentialing of Child Life Specialists
Professional expertise and skills in the practice of child life are achieved through a certification process overseen by the Association
of Child Life Professionals. This process involves confirmation of educational qualifications, clinical internship training, work experience and the successful completion of an evidence-based written examination specifically developed to assess the readiness of an
individual to enter the profession of child life. The Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) is achieved upon successful completion of
these activities. Certified Child Life Specialists are required to undertake continuing professional development activities to maintain
their CCLS credential.
Employing Certified Child Life Specialists
As the profession of child life has become more defined and specialized, and as the responsibilities of the practitioners have become
more demanding, it is increasingly important for those practicing child life to attain an acceptable level of both knowledge and clinical training. The Child Life Council believes that the education and training of those who achieve the credential of Certified Child Life
Specialist provides the practitioner with the knowledge and skill sets to practice child life at a professional level. Those individuals
who attain Certified Child Life Specialist status are able to provide accurate assessments, interventions and evaluations of children
and families. The provision of child life services by Certified Child Life Specialists is a quality benchmark of an integrated child health
delivery system and an indicator of excellence in pediatric care. Ultimately the only method for assuring both employers and patients/families that the highest standards of practice in child life will be addressed is the utilization of Certified Child Life Specialists.
To ensure quality child life service provision, it is the position of the Association of Child Life Professionals that child life services
should be provided by Certified Child Life Specialists.
xiii
Page 1
Part I: Introduction
This manual is published by the Child Life Certifying Committee and outlines the steps required to maintain Child Life
Professional Certification as well as the process to recertify at
the end of the five-year certification cycle.
It contains the following:
 Quick Reference Section
 CLC Position Paper: The Value of the Certification Creden-
tial in Child Life Services
 Part I: Introduction
 Part IV: Recertification
A. Recertification Through Exam
B. Recertification Through PDUs
1) Important Notes
2) Activity Types
3) Reporting PDUs
4) Random Audit
5) FAQs
 Appendix I: Background Questions/Statements of
Understanding
 Part II: Definitions
 Appendix II: Reinstatement Application
 Part III: Maintaining Certification
 Appendix III: PDU Verification Form
A. Certification Maintenance Fees
 Appendix IV: Exam Content Outline
B. Reinstatement
 Appendix V: Definitions of Internship Supervision
C. FAQs
Roles
 Appendix Vi: Recertification Application
Part II: Definitions
The Child Life Certifying Committee
The Child Life Certifying Committee (CLCC), a standing committee of the Child Life Council, comprised of Certified Child
Life Specialists, oversees the child life professional credentialing program. Committee leaders are elected by members
of the Association of Child Life Professionals. The CLCC seeks
to serve as a voice for stakeholders who have an interest in
maintaining high standards in child life.
The child life certification program is administered by
the CLCC, a professional testing agency, and ACLP
staff. The program advances uniform standards of
practice and ethical conduct among child life specialists. In addition, child life certification aims to shield
the general public from untrained individuals entering
into an inappropriate relationship with children and
families.
The mission of the Child Life Certifying Committee is to:
 Maintain a quality certification program for the child life
profession
 Review and recommend updates to policies
 Work with ACLP staff and the professional testing agency
to oversee the certification process
 Develop and revise the certification examination through
Practice Analysis studies and the management of item
development and exam assembly work groups
To achieve the CCLS credential, each candidate must
satisfy all the educational and experiential requirements established by the CLCC, and must demonstrate
an acceptable level of knowledge of child life theory
and practice by successfully completing the Child Life
Professional Certification Examination. The eligibility
requirements for the exam are applied fairly, impartially, and consistently within applicable laws, including all U.S. government nondiscriminatory statutes
and laws.
The Certified Child Life Specialist Credential
Child life certification is the process by which the CLCC grants
a time-limited recognition and use of the Certified Child Life
Specialist (CCLS) credential, after verifying that an individual
has met predetermined and standardized criteria.
“CCLS” is a registered certification mark. This designation and the title “Certified Child Life Specialist” may
only legally be used by those who have active certification conferred by the CLCC.
Page 2
Certification is granted independently of a candidate’s
membership in Association of Child Life Professionals.
Competence
Competence is defined as the possession of required
knowledge and skill or the capacity to perform.
At initial certification, individuals are required to demonstrate mastery of concepts relevant to the minimum responsibilities of an entry-level child life specialist and to
exhibit the capability to apply these to clinical practice.
This basic knowledge and the associated skills needed for
its application are defined through periodic Practice Analysis Studies, and are assessed through the certification
eligibility requirements and the Child Life Professional
Certification Examination.
Continuing competence
Continuing competence is the ongoing process of gaining
and maintaining aptitude. For the Child Life Professional
Certification Program, this is interpreted to mean that
individuals who seek to retain the credential must, at a
minimum, maintain the level of competence exhibited at
the point of initial certification or be committed to augmenting competence through professional development
activities.
Exam Content Outline
The Examination Classification System delineates the performance domains and tasks involved in current child life
practice as well as the knowledge, skills, and abilities
needed to successfully perform them. These are identified through Practice Analysis Studies every five to seven
years. The Exam Content Outline (Appendix IV) is a subset
of the Exam Classification System that includes the domains and tasks for the profession and is the blueprint
used to develop the Child Life Professional Certification
Exam.
The level of certification assessed by the certification exam has been defined as minimally-competent, entry-level
proficiency. Having successfully completed the Child Life
Professional Certification Examination, Certified Child Life
Specialists can be expected to possess the capacity to
perform the elements defined in the Exam Content Outline.
Purpose of Recertification
The purpose of the recertification process is to promote
the continuing competence of CCLS credential holders as
the performance of both newly credentialed and seasoned CCLSs reflects on the meaning and credibility of the
credential. Recertification is used to preserve the value
of the credential over time.
All CCLSs must recertify every five years. In order to do
so, CCLSs must demonstrate retention of the level of
competence required at initial certification either by
1) retaking the certification exam, or 2) taking action to
enhance competence through ongoing learning, becoming familiar with evolving practices in the field, and customizing competence relevant to the practice setting and
population served.
Certification Requirements and Expectations
CCLSs are required, at a minimum, to retain the level of
competence required at initial certification, pay certification maintenance fees, and conform to the CLCC’s Code
of Professional Practice including the Code of Ethical Responsibility. Maintenance fees and the Code of Professional Practice are discussed in Part II of this document.
CCLSs are further expected to:



Enhance competence through ongoing learning, pursuing high-quality sources of continuing education
and engaging in professional development activities
Build specialized competence relevant to practice
setting and population served
Keep current with emerging practices in the field
Use of CCLS Credential and Misrepresentation of
Certification
While certified, child life specialists are permitted to use
the initials “CCLS” after their names and the title
“Certified Child Life Specialist.” CCLS is a registered certification mark. It is not punctuated with periods. The title
Certified Child Life Specialist is always printed in initial
capital letters.
The “CCLS” designation and the title “Certified Child Life
Specialist” may only be legally used by those who have
active certification. Individuals who have not passed the
certification exam or who have inactive, lapsed, or expired certification are not permitted to use the credential.
Professional misrepresentation (using the credential
without being duly certified) is a serious offense with accompanying legal ramifications. Abuse of the credential
will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and individuals found to misuse the credential will not be permitted to apply for child life certification for a minimum
Page 3
of 3 years.
Revocation of Child Life Specialist Certification
Child life certification may be revoked for any reason the
CLCC deems appropriate, including but not limited to the
following:







Violation of the Association of Child Life Professionals
Code of Ethical Responsibility
Conviction of a felony or other crime of moral turpitude relating to the provision of child life services
Falsification of any information provided to the CLCC
Cheating on the examination
Failure to maintain the confidentiality of the certification examination
Failure to pay certification fees; it is the CCLS’s responsibility to pay maintenance fees in a timely manner regardless of the receipt of any notifications or
reminders from ACLP
Failure to successfully recertify during the fifth year of
the certification cycle
The Certification Cycle
Certification begins on the day an individual passes the
certification exam. Certification will expire at the end of
the calendar year in which the five-year certification anniversary falls, provided:


All required fees are paid in a timely manner. Certificants are required to pay certification maintenance
fees on or before January 31 of each of the first four
years of the certification cycle. In the fifth year, there
is no maintenance fee; however, certificants must
recertify in order to keep the CCLS credential.
Answers to the background questions and agreement
with the Statements of Understanding is provided as
requested by CLCC. CCLSs are required to attest their
understanding of the following statements each year
of the certification cycle:
 I understand that if requested from the general
public, CLCC will confirm my certification status
(active, inactive, lapsed, expired), effective/
expiration dates, and identification number.
 I understand that CLCC reserves the right to verify
any information I have provided.
 I understand that documents submitted to CLC become the property of ACLP and will not be returned.
 I understand that aggregate data will be used for
statistical study and review of the certification pro-
cess.
 I have read, understand, and agree to abide by the
Code of Professional Practice.
 I have read and agree to abide by the ethical, security, confidentiality, and other policies printed in
the Candidate and Recertification Manuals.
 I have read and understand the conditions under
which my certification can be revoked.

CCLSs must recertify in the fifth year of the certification cycle either by retaking the certification exam or
through professional development.
Release of Testing and Certification Information
The exam is a “criterion-referenced” exam which means
that CLCC has identified the passing score, establishing
the exact point required to meet the minimum standard
set. Candidates either meet the criteria or they do not
Though the numerical score may be of interest to those
who passed the exam, it does not provide a standard for
ranking individual performance. As a result, CLCC does
not release numerical scores above the cut score. This is
common practice in the credentialing industry and was
recommended by our partnering test administration
agency.
ACLP staff will verify certification status (active, inactive,
lapsed, expired), certification issue date, expiration date,
and identification number to members of the public as
requested via the online CCLS directory.
To protect examinees’ privacy, no individual exam results
or institution-specific results will be made available. Only
the following aggregate data will be available to CLC
membership and the general public:


Group performance data, including number of candidates, number passing, percent passing, and mean
score for each exam administration
Aggregate testing data, including performance on
Certification will expire at the end of
the calendar year in which the
five-year certification
anniversary falls unless the CCLS successfully recertifies in the fifth year.
Page 4
Certification Statuses
Certified
Active: an individual with an active certification status has passed the certification exam, paid all required fees, and
recertified (if applicable). Only individuals with this status may use the credential.
Not certified
Inactive: an individual with an inactive certification status has a certification maintenance fee overdue. This is a temporary status.
Certification maintenance fees are due by January 31 of each of the first four years of the certification cycle. After January 31, CCLSs are allowed a 60-day grace period to pay maintenance fees plus a late fee. If the proper payment is not
received by April 1, the certification maintenance fee is delinquent and the status changes to inactive.
An individual with an inactive status may apply for reinstatement of the credential on or before December 31 of the
year in which the payment was due. If the payment is not received by the end of the year, the certification status
changes to lapsed.
Lapsed: a lapsed certification status is given to an individual who has not paid a required certification maintenance fee.
The only way in which an individual with a lapsed status can regain the credential is by re-establishing eligibility for the
certification exam under the current requirements, taking and passing the certification exam.
Expired: an expired certification status is given to an individual who did not recertify in the fifth year of the certification
cycle. The only way in which an individual with a expired status can regain the credential is by re-establishing eligibility
for the certification exam under the current requirements, taking and passing the certification exam.
Individuals who are pursuing the credential are divided into two categories:
Applicant – an individual who has applied for an Eligibility Assessment but has not yet established his/her eligibility
for the certification exam.
Candidate – an individual who has established his/her eligibility for the certification exam, but has not yet successfully completed the certification exam.
Part III: Maintaining Certification
Code of Professional Practice
The Code of Professional Practice
addresses ethical dilemmas, behavior
that reflects on the child life profession, and conduct that may put the
general public at risk. All CCLSs are
required to provide confirmation of
their consent to abide by the code by
signing—manually or digitally—the
Statements
of
Understanding
(Appendix I) annually. This is done at
the time of application for the certification exam, the payment of certification maintenance fees, and application for recertification through professional development.
It is imperative that
each CCLS
maintain an
active,
regularly-checked
email address
on their
Online ACLP
user profile.
Certification Maintenance Fees
CCLSs are required to pay Certification
Maintenance Fees to support the administration of the certification program and to maintain their individual certification. Certification
Maintenance fees are essential to the operation of the Child Life Professional Certification
Program. They provide the financial resources
needed for the program’s operation. Certification Maintenance Fees are due on or before
January 31 of each of the first four years of
each five-year certification cycle.
CCLSs are permitted to pay certification
maintenance fees with an additional late fee dur-
FIGURE 7
Page 6
ing a 60-day grace period (February 1 – March 31).
No maintenance fee is due during the final year of the
cycle; however, CCLSs must recertify in the fifth year in
order to retain the credential. See Figure 7.
To allow CCLSs to anticipate their financial obligations,
the deadline for certification maintenance payments
does not change from year to year. Ultimately it is the
responsibility of all CCLSs to pay their fees and recertify
as required. However, ACLP will send email reminders
regarding certification maintenance in December and
January. ACLP uses email as the primary means of contact. It is imperative that each CCLS maintain an active, regularly-checked email address on their ACLP
user profile especially if he/she is relying on ACLP’s
reminders of payments due.
The established deadline for certification maintenance
payments is January 31 of each of the first four years of
each five-year certification cycle. ACLPs automated
system begins charging a late fee for all payments received after that date. Late fees will not be waived
based on notification failure.
Maintenance fees are frequently confused with Association of Child Life Professionals membership dues.
Child Life Professional Certification and ACLP membership are completely separate programs, each with distinct fees and associated benefits. ACLP members receive many benefits, including reduced rates on most
certification fees; however, membership is not required
for certification of child life specialists.
Where does my money go?
CCLSs are required to pay maintenance fees in order to
sustain the Child Life Professional Certification Program
from which they benefit. The CCLS credential is valuable, providing a professional advantage available only
to those who meet the set standard and support the
program through the payment of fees. Employers often
require the credential for employment with the understanding that credential holders have set themselves
apart from non-credentialed practitioners.
Maintenance fees support both the general administration of the credentialing program including staffing and
office costs as well as 1) developmental expenses such
as Practice Analysis Studies that monitor change to the
practice of child life, 2) continual assessment of CLCC policies in relation to credentialing industry best practices, 3)
implementation of ACLP leadership decisions, and 4)
communications with various stakeholders including:
 Educating the public about the certification
program
 Verification of certification status for employers
 Reports to the ACLP Board of Directors
 Publication of changes to policy
 Website development and maintenance
 CCLS Connection newsletter
Much of this work is done behind the scenes, invisible to
those who hold the credential, but essential to the ongoing process and progression of certification.
Reinstatement
If a CCLS fails to make a maintenance payment by April 1,
his or her status will change to “inactive.” Individuals
with this status will not be listed in the online CCLS directory and are not permitted to use the CCLS credential.
Through the reinstatement process, inactive certification
status can be returned to “active” status within the calendar year of the delinquent payment. An application for
reinstatement must be submitted along with the maintenance fee, late fee, and a reinstatement fee in order for
the credential to be reinstated. If the credential is not
reinstated by the end of the calendar year in which the
maintenance payment was due, certification is said to
have lapsed. If an individual with a “lapsed” status wishes to regain the credential, he/she must re-establish eligibility for the exam under the then-current requirements
and successfully retake the certification exam. The reinstatement application can be found in Appendix II.
Certification Maintenance Fees*
ACLP Members
Non-Members
$40
$60
Late fee
$25
Reinstatement fee
$50
*As of publication date; fees are subject to
change.
Page 7
Certification Maintenance FAQs
What are Certification Maintenance Fees?
CCLSs pay Certification Maintenance Fees to support the administration of the certification program
and to maintain individual certification.
When are Certification Maintenance Fees due?
Certification Maintenance fees are due by January
31 each of the first four years of the five-year certification cycle. Your first payment is due January 31
of the year immediately following the day you
passed the certification exam. For example, if you
passed the exam in March, August, or November 2014, your first maintenance payment would be
due on or before January 31, 2015. You would also
have a payment due by January 31 of 2016, 2017,
and 2018. In 2019, you would not pay a maintenance fee; however, you would need to recertify
and pay the recertification fee in that year.
What am I paying for? Where does my money go?
Maintenance fees fund the general administration
of the certification program, which includes activities such as: practice analyses, accurate record
keeping, and communication about certification.
The examination fee covers the separate costs of
administering the exam, such as exam development
and testing agency fees.
How will I be notified when my payment is due?
Ultimately it is the responsibility of all Certified
Child Life Specialists to pay the maintenance fees
every January for the first four years of their certification cycle. However, CLCC will send email reminders regarding certification maintenance in December and January. Therefore it is essential that
you keep your ACLP user profile up-to-date with an
active email address that you check regularly.
What if my payment is late?
A $25 late fee is applied to payments that are received after January 31.
Late payments will be accepted through March 31, after which certification will become inactive due to non-payment. Individuals who have an
inactive certification status are not permitted to refer to themselves as a
Certified Child Life Specialist or use the initials “CCLS” after their name.
These individuals must apply for reinstatement of the credential by December 31 of the year in which the payment was due. If certification is
not reinstated via payment of proper fees by the end of that calendar
year, certification will lapse.
What happens if I don’t pay Certification Maintenance Fees?
If Certification Maintenance Fees are not paid in a timely fashion, certification will lapse. If certification lapses due to non-payment of maintenance fees, an individual will no longer be permitted to refer to him/
herself as a Certified Child Life Specialist or use the initials “CCLS” after
his/her name. To re-gain the credential, individuals with lapsed certification must re-establish eligibility for the certification exam, and successfully complete it.
I just paid my dues; why do I have to pay again?
If you recently made a payment to ACLP it is likely that it was for membership in ACLP. Certification maintenance fees are due once a year
(January) for the first four years of the certification cycle. ACLP membership dues are paid annually for membership in ACLP. Certification
maintenance fees are separate from Association of Child Life Professionals membership dues.
Don’t my ACLP membership dues cover my certification, too?
Child Life Professional Certification and Association of Child Life Professionals membership are completely separate programs, each with distinct fees and associated benefits. Certified Child Life Specialists are not
required to be members of the Association of Child Life Professionals,
just as certification is not a requirement for ACLP membership. Association of Child Life Professionals members receive many benefits, including
reduced rates on all Child Life Professional Certification Program fees.
Important Notes Regarding Certification Maintenance:
1. Annual ACLP membership renewal fees are NOT the same as certification maintenance fees. Certification and
ACLP membership are entirely separate programs, each with its own fees and associated benefits.
2. Although ACLP will send invoices for maintenance fees, it is ultimately the responsibility of the CCLS to make the
appropriate payments on time and to keep the ACLP office informed of any changes in contact information.
3. In the last year of each five-year certification cycle, CCLSs are not required to submit a maintenance fee payment, but will be required to submit the appropriate recertification fee instead.
4. Certification fees are subject to change. Please visit www.childlife.org/certification for current fee information.
Page 8
Part IV: Recertification
General Information
The five-year recertification requirement is based on a
commonly accepted, occupational standard time frame. It
encourages CCLSs to remain current in the knowledge,
skills, and abilities necessary for continuing competence in
the field with the goal of protection of the general public
from unskilled individuals entering into an inappropriate
relationship with children and families.
Recertification applications
may only be submitted
during the final year of the
certification cycle and must be
received on or before
October 31 of that year.
Certificants may recertify by re-examination or by obtaining 60 Although ACLP will send reminders in January of the
year recertification is due, it is ultimately the responsiProfessional Development Units (PDUs).
bility of the CCLS to submit the application to recertify
Certificants must complete the recertification process prior to in a timely manner.
their expiration date. See below for deadline information.
Deadlines
Recertification through Exam
CCLSs with an active status who elect to recertify through examination are bound by the examination deadlines, fees,
and other policies in place at that time. Below are the testing dates and corresponding deadlines in place as of the
publication date. Deadlines are subject to change.
Application Deadline
Computer-Based Testing Window
January 31
March 15 - 30
June 30
August 15 - 30
September 20
November 1 - 15
Recertification through PDUs
To allow adequate processing time, applications to recertify through PDUs must be received by the ACLP office on or
before October 31st of the expiration year.
The NEW deadline to
recertify through
PDUs is October 31st
Late Submissions
Due to the extension of the deadline to October 31 (previously June 30), late submissions are no longer accepted
Recertification Fees*
Recertification through Examination:
ACLP Members:
$ 300
Non-Members:
$ 450
Recertification through Professional Development Units:
ACLP Members:
$ 100
Non-Members:
$ 200
*As of publication date; fees are subject to change.
Page 9
Recertification Through Examination
The Child Life Professional Certification Examination is
content- and psychometrically-valid and a reliable
measure of minimum, entry-level competence. The
Child Life Professional Certification Exam is the means
by which initial certification is granted and may also
be used by CCLSs to demonstrate continuing competence. Each item in the examination item bank is directly related to one of the tasks outlined on the Exam
Content Outline (Appendix IV).
Eligibility
Individuals who have an active certification status and
are applying to recertify by examination are not required to establish eligibility for the exam. However,
CCLSs recertifying by examination are still bound by all
other certification examination policies and procedures in place at that time and should read and fully
understand the content of the current Candidate
Manual, which is available on the ACLP Web site.
Please note: Individuals who were previously certified and allowed certification to lapse or expire must
re-establish eligibility for the exam under the thencurrent requirements and successfully complete the
certification exam in order to re-gain the credential.
Submitting an Application to Recertify Through
Examination
Candidates are encouraged to use the certification
portal on the ACLP website to register for the exam as
follows:
1. Login to your profile
2. Click on the “View Event Registrations” button
3. Select the appropriate exam administration and
click on “Register”
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to edit your
identification information
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter any
requests for special testing accommodations. If
you are not requesting any, you may skip this step. If
you are requesting accommodations, please upload a
file documenting the need for the modification.
6. Click “Continue.”
7. Confirm your registration information and click on
“continue.”
8. Confirm your ID information and click on “Complete
Registration.”
9. Select payment type and complete the required information
10. Click on “Submit Payment.”
To Pay by Check/Submit a Paper
Exam Application
The exam application can be found in the final pages of the
Candidate Manual. Complete the application as indicated
and scan/email it to [email protected], fax it to 301881-7092, or mail it to:
Certification
Association of Child Life Professionals
1820 N Fort Myer Dr, Suite 520
Arlington, VA 22209
What happens if I don’t pass the exam?
Applicants for recertification through examination who do
not pass the exam are permitted to submit an application to
recertify through PDUs within the final year of the certification cycle. Such applications must follow all of the policies
outlined previously including deadlines for application. If,
however, recertification is not achieved through either
method prior to the end of the cycle, the individual’s certification will expire at the end of the year. If certification expires, the individual will be required to start the certification
process anew by re-establishing eligibility under the thencurrent requirements and successfully completing the examination.
Page 10
Recertification Through Professional Development Units (PDUs)
What is a PDU?
Several of the newly-accepted professional development activities do not fit into the formula previously
used to calculate credits. Formerly, one clock hour
equaled one Professional Development Hour (PDH).
While most traditional methods of accruing PDUs
are still calculated based on this formula, a new
method for calculating credit for professional development has become necessary. The new standard
unit of measure for professional development is a
Professional Development Unit (PDU).
A PDU is a unit of measure for tracking professional
development activities. It is used as an expression
of a variety of both clock-based and non-clockbased learning activities in terms of a common unit
of measure.
In order for a professional development activity to
qualify as a PDU, the content must relate to one of
the three established domains from the Exam Content Outline (Appendix IV).
An explanation of how PDU credits are determined
for each of the acceptable activity types is included
in this document. This information is also found in
the PDU Activity Chart (Appendix III) which specifies
the number of PDUs earned for the various types of
professional development and in Figures 1-6 in the
Quick Reference Section of this document.
Dates for PDU Accrual
Certificants may begin to accrue PDUs immediately after they
have successfully completed the Child Life Professional Certification Examination. CCLSs who recertify through PDUs may
begin accruing PDUs for their next certification cycle on November 1 of the year in which they recertify.
PDUs may NOT be carried over from one certification cycle to
the next. An activity that commences in one certification cycle
and concludes in the next may only be used for credit in the
cycle in which the activity is completed.
Any PDUs accrued before October 31st will be applied toward
the current recertification regardless of whether the applicant
has already submitted their application for recertification
through PDUs.
Pre-Approval of PDU Activities
All professional development sessions offered by CLC
(webinars and annual conference educational sessions) are
pre-approved unless otherwise noted. PDUs for CLC conference sessions, webinars, and committee participation are the
only pre-approved PDU activities. All other learning activities
will be reviewed for applicability at the time of recertification
application review.
CLCC does not pre-approve other professional development
activities or providers.
Certificants may accrue their Professional Development Units (PDUs)
along the following timelines:
In the initial certification cycle,
from the examination date through October 31 of the year certification expires
In subsequent certification cycles,
from November 1 of the year recertification took place through October 31
of the year the subsequent certification cycle expires
Page 11
Because of CLCC's limited resources, and the complexity
of providing pre-approval of professional development
sessions and providers, it is not feasible to do this at this
time. Please read this manual in its entirety carefully for
information on the suitability of learning opportunities.
ment, and 3) Intervention.
Availability of PDU Activities/Assistance Obtaining
PDU Activities
Because CLCC accepts a very wide variety of professional
development, CLC staff cannot provide a comprehensive
list of activities to pursue nor pre-approve any PDU activities. ACLP does however provide a number of networking
opportunities through its website. For example, the ACLP
Forum, available to ACLP members, is an excellent way to
reach a large number of child life colleagues as are the
local and regional child life networking groups. It is recommended that CCLSs network with peers to find valuable learning experiences.
Certificants choosing the PDU option for recertification
must earn a minimum of 60 PDUs within their five-year
certification cycle. Of these, a specific number must
relate to each domain of the Exam Content Outline
(Appendix IV) as follows:
CLCC has expanded the list of acceptable PDU activity
types which are detailed in this document.
Content Requirements
For all professional development activity types, to qualify
as a PDU, the content must relate to one of the three professional domains from the Exam Content Outline
(Appendix IV): 1) professional responsibility, 2) Assess-
Recertification through PDUs provides CCLSs the opportunity to choose continuing education and training specific to their individual professional needs.




A minimum of 15 of the 60 required PDUs must fall
within the Professional Responsibility domain; of
these, a minimum of 5 must be related to professional ethics (Domain I, Task 1: Maintain professional standards of practice through adherence to
established ethical guidelines in order to provide
respectful and competent care).
A minimum of 20 of the 60 required PDUs must fall
within the Assessment domain
A minimum of 15 of the 60 required PDUs must fall
within the Intervention domain
The remaining 10 PDUs may align with any of the
three domains at the discretion of the CCLS.
Recertification by Professional Development Units (PDUs)
Certificants choosing the PDU option for recertification must earn a minimum of
60 PDUs within their five-year certification cycle.
Of these, a specific number must relate to each domain of the Exam Content Outline as follows:
Exam Content Outline Domain Requirements
Performance Domain
Task (Sub-domain)
Required Number of PDUs
Professional Responsibility
Task 1 Professional Ethics
Any Task
Assessment
(Any Task)
5
10
20
(Total of 15 PDUs required)
Intervention
(Any Task)
15
The remaining 10 PDUs may align with any of the three domains at the discretion of the CCLS.
Page 12
IMPORTANT NOTES
Calculation of PDUs
Several of the new types of acceptable professional development activities do not fit into the formula used previously to calculate credits. Formerly, one educational contact hour equaled one Professional Development Hour (PDH). While most traditional methods of accruing PDUs are still calculated based on
Professional
this formula, a new method for calculating credit for professional development has become necdevelopment
essary. The new standard unit of measure for professional development is a Professional Develcannot be
opment Unit (PDU).
earned in
units smaller
An explanation of how credit is determined for each of the acceptable activity types may be
found on the following pages. This information is also found in Figures 1-6 and the PDU Activity
than 0.5 PDU.
Chart (Appendix IV) which specifies the number of PDUs earned for various types of undertakings. All PDUs must be recorded in increments of at least 30 minutes or .5 PDU. Units must be
rounded DOWN to the next .5 PDU increment. CCLSs cannot earn PDUs from sessions that are less than 30
minutes in duration.
Examples
Session Duration
(in Minutes)
15 –29
30—59
60-89
=
=
=
Number of PDUs
Earned
0.0
0.5
1.0
Session Duration
(in Minutes)
90-119
120-149
150-179
=
=
=
Number of PDUs
Earned
1.5
2.0
2.5
Below is a summary of the various formulas used to calculated PDUs based on activity type. Please be sure to read
pages 17-22 carefully for additional information.
Formulas for Calculating PDUs
Traditional professional development
College/University Classes
Independent Study
Presenting or co-presenting a professional workshop, seminar, or
session at a state, national, or international conference
Presenting – Poster Session
1 educational contact hour = 1 PDU
1 credit hour = 3 PDUs
Successful completion of 1 quiz/test = 1 PDU
1 hour presentation = 2 PDU
1 poster = 2 PDU
Presenting – Staffed Poster Session
1 hour presentation = 1 PDU
Presenting or co-presenting for local organization, association, or
group on practice area-related topic
Internship supervision
1 hour presentation = 1 PDU
Publishing
Professional service - Completion of a research project/study on a
child life-related topic = 2 PDUs
Professional service - Serving on board of directors, committee or
task force (for CLC or other related to the psychosocial care of
children in a health care environment)
80 hours of supervision for child life intern = 2
PDUs
1 article, chapter, or book = 3 PDUs
1 research project/study = 2 PDUs
1 year = 1PDU
Page 13
IMPORTANT NOTES (Continued) …
Internet-Based Activity Requirements
Many online sessions will be accepted, provided they meet the requirements defined within this document. Only
online courses with an interactive component (with an instructor and/or other participants) are allowed.* In an
online training situation, the Certifying Committee expects the CCLS to have the opportunity to communicate with the
instructor or other participants such as during a webinar.
The “interactive component” does not include asynchronous activities such as posting to discussion boards and emails
to and from the instructor. It includes synchronous activities such as web-based conferences/webinars, teleconferences, and live instant message discussions.
Time spent doing assignments for online courses does not count towards PDUs.
CCLSs are required to keep detailed records of the time spent online for the course. If online at a particular time of
day for the course, please track those times. If not please provide a daily estimate and any other information about
the time spent completing the session .
*Internet-based activities that do not include an interactive element MUST have a standardized, post-completion
assessment (quiz/test) to be eligible for PDUs.
Recorded Session Requirements
Recorded sessions will be accepted for PDU credit provided 1) they meet the requirements defined in this document,
and 2) a standardized learning assessment (quiz/test) is successfully completed. Recorded sessions without an assessment will not be accepted.
Online offerings must include an appropriate end-of-course assessment. Generally, this means a post-completion
written or digital test or quiz. Similarly, an observable demonstration of learning that could include a written product
or other documentable product would be acceptable.
A quiz on the presented materials helps determine if the participant has met the course objectives and the effectiveness of participation and whether additional study is needed.
Documentation of PDUs
CCLSs may be asked to provide evidence of participation in all PDU sessions submitted and should therefore keep supporting documentation for all reported PDUs. Promotional materials and records of registration DO NOT verify attendance and WILL NOT be accepted.
It is highly recommended that CCLSs maintain a file of documentation throughout their five-year certification cycle in
the event that their application is selected for audit.
In some cases, documents may need to be accessed online and printed. Since organizations may not make these available indefinitely and they may not be accessible at the time of recertification, it is strongly recommended that documents are printed at the time of completion and kept in the applicant’s personal PDU file.
Page 14
IMPORTANT NOTES (Continued) …
PDU activities without the required supporting documentation will NOT be credited.
If your application is selected for random audit, you will be required to submit documentation at that time. Please
do not send your supporting documentation unless it is specifically requested by the CLCC.
Each of the defined PDU activity types has at least one acceptable form of documentation. The preferred type of
documentation for each PDU activity is listed on the PDU Activities Chart (Appendix III). Additional kinds of verification for each of the activity types may be accepted; please see pages 17-22 for further information for each PDU
activity type.
The PDU Verification Form (Appendix III) is to be used for specific types of activities. The form should be completed by the recertification candidate’s supervisor or an appropriate representative of the organization sponsoring the
activity.
ACCEPTABLE ACTIVITY TYPES
The following activity types, discussed in greater detail
on the following pages, are accepted for professional
development activities for recertification:
1. Traditional professional development
(conferences, classes, webinars, etc.)
2. Independent Study
3. Presenting
4. Internship supervision
5. Fieldwork Supervision
6. Publishing
7. Professional service
Within these categories, different activities earn a corresponding number of PDUs and documentation requirements vary. Some of these activities have been
limited to a specific number of attainable PDUs within
the five-year certification cycle to prevent applicants
from acquiring a limited range of professional development. For these details, please see the following pages and refer to Figures 1-6 and the PDU Activity Chart,
Appendix. III.
The following are NOT accepted as professional development activities for recertification:
 Sessions without a clear relationship to the Exam
Content Outline (Appendix IV)
 Patient care activities and other employment duties
 Non-credit/audited academic classes
 Mission/service trips
 Networking sessions
 Meetings
 Facility/hospital tours
 Internships
 Fellowships
 Mandatory in-services or training activities including,
but not limited to orientation programs and sessions
on workplace safety, harassment, first aid, infection
control, and other general human resources topics
 Session time devoted to organizational business, entertainment, or social activities including beverage or
meal breaks
 Travel time
Page 15
WHAT IS ACCEPTED FOR EACH ACTIVITY TYPE
Traditional Professional Development
Independent Learning

College/university classes taken for credit
with a passing grade
Certificate program courses
Professional programming
 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) courses
 Seminars
 Workshops
 Professional development sessions
(conference “breakout” sessions)
 Keynote addresses
 General opening and closing addresses
 Intensives
 Lectures
Employer-based learning
 Direct participation in in-services and grand
rounds
Broadcast programming
 Webinars
 Web conferencing
 Live web casts (with attendance confirmation)
Recorded/archived learning materials with
post-completion assessment

Recorded sessions are accepted only if a postcompletion assessment is given by the provider and is successfully completed.
Internet-based sessions are accepted only if
there is an interactive component or if a postcompletion assessment is successfully completed.
Maximum of 10 PDUs of independent learning per
five-year certification cycle
Non-credit/audited classes
Networking sessions
Meetings
Session time devoted to organizational business, entertainment, or social activities
Facility tours
Travel time
Mandatory in-services or training activities
Recorded sessions without a successfullycompleted standardized learning assessment
Independent learning that does not include a post
-completion assessment
Accepted





Not Accepted
Limits











Standardized independent study which includes a standardized learning assessment
Multi-media packages which provide learner
participation through tests, papers, reports,
etc.

Video- or internet-based self-study courses
which conclude with a graded quiz/test

Literature review which concludes with a
graded quiz/test
Page 16
WHAT IS ACCEPTED FOR EACH ACTIVITY TYPE
Presenting


Accepted






Limits



Not
Accepted


Fieldwork
Supervision
Delivering a professional
presentation
Journal article review
presentation
Patient case study presentation
Workshop, seminar, or session at a
state, national, or international
conference
Poster session at a state, national,
or international conference
In-service training, instruction, or
guest lecture for child life specialists or related professionals in their
hospital or workplace
Speech or lecture for local organization, association, or group on
practice area-related topic
Providing direct
supervision* for
child life intern
Students
Maximum of 20 PDUs per five-year
certification cycle
Credit for each presentation can
only be earned once regardless of
the number of times the material is
presented
PDUs for this activity are calculated
based on the length of the presentation; time spent in preparing the
presentation is not included.
For staffed poster presentations,
PDUs are accrued based on the formula 1 hour presentation = 2 PDUs
OR 1 poster =2 PDUs whichever is
greater.
Hours spent preparing presentations
Hours spent teaching or preparing
academic courses
Maximum of 10
PDUs per five-year
certification cycle
Publishing
Professional
Service
Authoring or coauthoring any of
the following:



*See Appendix V


Focus article
for the Child
Life Council
Bulletin
Article related
to the psychosocial care of
children in a
peer-reviewed
journal
Book/chapter
on child liferelated topics





Applicant’s primary role may
not be that of
the coordinator
of the internship
Supervision of
fellowships and
practicums
Completion of a
research project/
study related to
child life practice
Serving on the
board of directors, a committee, or task
force for CLC
Serving on the
board of directors, a committee
or task force relating to the psychosocial care of
children in a
health care environment
Maximum of 5
PDUs per fiveyear certification
cycle for each
type (CLC or other organizations)
of committee service
No limits on the
number of PDUs
earned through
research actitvities
Working groups
Page 17
ACTIVITY TYPES
TRADITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CONFERENCES, CLASSES, ETC.)
This activity type includes credit- and non-credit-based
learning activities such as:







College/university classes taken for credit (whether in
pursuit of a degree or non-degree seeking) with a passing grade. Non-credit/audited college/ university classes are not accepted.
 Traditional classroom lectures
 Distance learning
 Hybrid courses
Certificate program courses
Professional programming including
 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) courses
 Seminars
 Workshops
 Professional development sessions (Conference
“breakout” sessions)
 Keynote addresses
 General opening and closing addresses
 Intensives
 Lectures
Broadcast programming:
 Webinars
 Web conferencing (meetings are not accepted)
 Live web casts (with attendance confirmation)
Online training (with attendance confirmation
Employer-based learning:
 Direct participation in in-services and grand rounds
specifically related to the Exam Content Outline is
eligible.
 Recorded sessions are not accepted unless a
standardized learning assessment (e.g., quiz) is
successfully completed.
 Mandatory in-services or training activities such as
orientation programs and sessions on workplace
safety, harassment, first aid, infection control, etc.
are not accepted)
Recorded/archived learning materials with a postcompletion assessment (quiz/test) (See special notes
regarding recorded/archived materials on p.13)
Note: Networking sessions, meetings, session time devoted to organizational business, entertainment, or social activities such as beverage or meal breaks, facility tours, and
travel time is not eligible for PDUs.
CALCULATING PDUS FOR TRADITIONAL PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
For college and university classes that are assigned a
number of credit hours follow the formula:
1 credit hour = 3 PDU
Therefore, a three-credit course is equivalent to
nine PDUs.
With the exception of college/university course work,
activities of this type follow the formula:
1 educational contact hour =
1 PDU
Therefore a two-hour workshop is equivalent to
2 PDUs.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR TRADITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Acceptable documentation for this activity type includes:





Certificate of attendance*
PDU Verification Form (Appendix III) from sponsor/employer
College/university transcript (official or unofficial
versions are accepted)
Certificates of CEUs from other professions
Report of professional development activities from
human resources department
*For ACLP’s annual conferences, the sessions for which
CCLSs register are automatically posted in their online
Refer to the additional information
found in the
important notes section
on pages 12-14
Page 18
ACTIVITY TYPES (Continued)
profiles. However CLCC does not have confirmation of
attendance. The certificate of attendance must be
submitted for these events.
The certificate of attendance for ACLP annual conferences can be found in the Conference Proceedings
which are distributed in the tote bags at each conference. A copy of the certificate of attendance is required for all ACLP annual conferences. There is one
year exempted: in 2012, the certificate of attendance
was omitted from the CD-ROM. As a result, attendees
are not required to provide documentation of attendance at the 2012 conference only. If a CCLS is unable
to provide the certificate of attendance for other
years, another form of documentation, such as the
PDU Verification Form (Appendix III), is required.
Acceptable examples include:
 Multi-media packages which provide learner participation through tests, papers, reports, etc.
 Video- or internet-based self-study courses which
conclude with a graded quiz
 Literature review which concludes with a graded
quiz
Verification of successful completion of the assessment is required if audited. Independent learning that
does not include a third-party assessment is not accepted.
CALCULATING INDEPENDENT LEARNING PDUS
Calculation of PDUs of this type follow the formula:
Successful completion of 1 quiz/test = 1 PDU
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
For the purpose of recertification, independent learning is defined as standardized, independent study
consisting of a learning experience related to the Exam Content Outline which has been prepared and
programmed by an organization, agency, institution,
or association which includes a standardized learning
assessment (e.g., quiz/test).
This option is available to provide flexibility to those
with specialized learning needs and to expand the
continuing education opportunities for those whose
options may be limited.
CCLSs may earn a maximum of 10 PDUs per five-year
certification cycle for participating in standardized
independent learning activities.
A maximum of 10 PDUs may be earned in this manner
for each five year certification cycle.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR INDEPENDENT LEARNING
Acceptable documentation for this activity type includes:


Sponsoring organization’s documentation of successful completion of assessment
Report of professional development activities from
human resources department, indicating that a
standardized assessment (test/quiz) was successfully completed.
CCLSs cannot earn PDUs from
sessions that are less than
30 minutes in duration.
Page 19
ACTIVITY TYPES (Continued)
PRESENTING
Duration of the presented session
30 min
45 min
1 hour
1 hour and 15 minutes
1 hour and 30 minutes
1 hour and 45 minutes
Delivering a professional presentation on topics related to the Exam Content Outline is accepted in the following formats:




Workshop, seminar, or session at a state,
regional, national, or international conference
Poster session at a state, regional, national, or international conference
Journal article review or patient case study
presentation for colleagues
In-service training, instruction, or guest
lecture for child life specialists or related
professionals in their hospital or workplace (including speeches or lectures for
local organizations, associations, or other
groups on practice area-related topic)
Notes:
 CCLSs may earn a maximum of 20 PDUs
per five-year certification cycle for presenting activities.
 Credit for each presentation can only be
earned once regardless of the number of
times the material is presented.
 PDUs for this activity are calculated based
on the length of the presentation; time
spent in preparation is not included.
 Hours spent teaching/preparing academic
courses or advising students are NOT eligible for PDU credit.
CALCULATING PRESENTING PDUS
A maximum of 20 PDUs may be earned in this
manner for each five-year certification cycle
(limited to one-time presentation per topic;
time spent on preparation cannot be included
when calculating PDUs). The following formulas are used to calculate the number of credits
earned:

Presenting or co-presenting at a professional workshop, seminar, or session at a
state, regional, national, or international
conference
1 hour presentation = 2 PDU

PDUs earned
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Presenting or co-presenting a professional poster session at a
state, national, or international conference
1 poster = 2 PDU
Note: for staffed poster presentations—where the applicant gives a
talk about the poster and/or is onsite to answer questions—the
number of PDUs earned is determined by the duration of the period
that the poster is staffed. PDUs are accrued based on the formula 1
hour staffed poster presentation = 2 PDUs OR 1 poster = 2 PDUs
whichever is greater. The number of PDUs earned for presenting a
poster (either staffed or unstaffed) is never less than 2 PDUs

Duration of the staffed poster session
PDUs earned
Up to and including 1 hour
1 hour and 15 minutes
2
2.5
1 hour and 30 minutes
3
1 hour and 45 minutes
3.5
Presenting or co-presenting a professional in-service training,
instruction, or guest lecture for child life specialists or related
professionals in the hospital or workplace
1 hour presentation = 1 PDU

Presenting or co-presenting for local organization, association, or
group on practice area-related topic
1 hour presentation = 1 PDU
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PRESENTING
Acceptable documentation for this activity type includes:



Copy of program listing that includes: presenter’s name; date,
length, and location of presentation; and contact person for supporting organization.
Copy of attendance record and outline of presentation
PDU Verification Form from presentation sponsor or applicant’s
supervisor
Page 20
ACTIVITY TYPES (Continued)
FIELDWORK SUPERVISION
Supervision of child life intern students is accepted provided the applicant’s primary role is not that of the coordinator of the internship but rather that of the direct floor supervisor or clinical rotation supervisor. Only those who assume responsibility for the training of the intern during his/her rotation and provide direct and formal supervision
are eligible for PDU credit. Activities related to the coordination of the internship do not qualify for PDU credit.
More information about the duties and requirements of these roles can be found in Appendix V.
Supervision of fellowships and practicums is not accepted.
CALCULATING FIELDWORK SUPERVISION PDUS
A maximum of 10 PDUs may be earned in this manner for each five-year certification cycle. No PDUs of this type may
be earned if “Internship Coordinator” is the applicant’s primary role. For direct floor supervisors the formula below is
used to calculate the number of PDUs earned:
80 hours of supervision of child life intern = 2 PDUs
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR FIELDWORK SUPERVISION
The only acceptable form of documentation for fieldwork supervision is the PDU Verification Form (Appendix III)
completed by the applicant’s supervisor.
PUBLISHING
Authoring or co-authoring any of the following on a topic related to the Exam Content Outline is accepted:
 Focus article for the Association of Child Life Professionals Bulletin


Article related to the psychosocial care of children published in a peer-reviewed journal
Professional book or chapter on child life-related topic
Notes:



PDU credit for publishing is earned at the time of publication.
Books written for children as the primary audience are not eligible for PDUs.
Self-published works are not eligible for PDU credit.
CALCULATING PUBLISHING PDUS
Authoring or co-authoring a published work is accepted per the formula below:
1 article, chapter, or book = 3 PDUs
A book with multiple chapters earns PDUs based on the number of chapters written by the CCLS. For example, a book
with 3 chapters is equivalent to 9 PDUs.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PUBLISHING
Acceptable documentation for this activity type includes:


Copy of printed article showing the author’s name and publication date
Copy of title page or table of contents showing the author’s name and publication date
Page 21
ACTIVITY TYPES (Continued)
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
This activity type includes:



Completion of a research project/study related to child life practice
Serving on board of directors, committee or task force for ACLP
Serving on professional board of directors, committee, or task force relating to the psychosocial care of children in
a health care environment
Term length for committee participation must be greater than or equal to nine months.
CALCULATING PROFESSIONAL SERVICE PDUS
Service to the child life profession in the following forms is accepted:
Completion of a research project/study on a child life-related topic = 2 PDUs (an unlimited number of PDUs may be
accrued for research)
For the following types of professional service there is a limit of 5 PDUs each that can be earned in a 5-year cycle.
Serving on board of directors, committee or task force for ACLP = 1 PDU/year
Serving on professional board of directors, committee, or task force related to the psychosocial care of children in a
health care environment = 1 PDU/year
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Acceptable documentation for this activity type includes:



Copy of conclusion or summary of research project/study
Association of Child Life Professionals board of directors, committee, or task force roster
Verification from board of directors of the sponsoring organization where you served on the board of directors,
committee, or task force related to the psychosocial care of children in a health care environment
*****
Refer to the additional information
found in the
important notes section
on page12-14
Page 22
RANDOM AUDIT

CLCC is responsible for enforcing the set standards for
professional development. To accomplish this task
and maintain the integrity of the CCLS credential, the
committee conducts an annual audit of randomlyselected PDU recertification applications. Specific
recertification applications are selected at random not
due to any doubt about the honesty or accuracy of an
applicant’s PDU history.
Every applicant for recertification
through PDUs has an equal
chance of being audited regardless of previous audit history; a
CCLS may be audited more than
once in different certification cycles.
Claimed credits adjusted to account for errors in the
calculation of the number of PDUs
Individuals whose applications are being audited will be
contacted when the audit is successful and the recertification application is accepted.
If additional information is required to fully review the
application, applicants will be offered the opportunity to
remediate any errors or incomplete portions of
the application discovered during the audit
process. If an application is incomplete, ACLP
Audit of PDUs
staff will request the necessary information. If
does not mean
the applicant does not respond on or before
that there is doubt
the specified deadline, the application for
about the honesty
recertification will be denied and certification
or accuracy of an
will expire at the end of the year.
CCLSs can ensure that the audit
application.
Certificants will be notified of the results of the
process is simple and virtually
audit by a letter from the ACLP office as dieffortless by maintaining comrected by the CLCC. Each audited certificant
plete and accurate documentahas the opportunity to either request clarification
tion of their professional development activities
or
appeal
audit results within 21 days of the date on the
throughout each certification cycle.
result notification letter. More information can be found
Individual applicants to be audited are identified
below.
through a computer-generated, random selection proIf there is no response or question regarding the results
cess. These individuals are notified electronically that
they must submit copies of their verification docuwithin the specified time limit, the results of the audit
mentation for the PDUs reported in their applications.
are considered final. The record of the certificant’s PDUs
The requested documentation must be received by
will be recorded in the applicant’s file by ACLP staff.
the ACLP office on or before the specified deadline.
Non-respondents will forfeit their certification. All
APPEAL OF RECERTIFICATION AND AUDIT RESULTS
submissions become the property of ACLP and will not
If a CCLS’s recertification is not approved or if an audit is
be returned to the applicant. Applicants should keep
original copies of all documentation for their records.
unsuccessful, he/she may appeal the decision by submitting a letter to CLCC within 21 days of the date of the
Members of the CLCC will conduct the audit process.
letter informing the candidate that their recertification
All materials will be evaluated according to the same
application was not accepted. The request must state
standards and by using identical procedures. For each
the reason for the appeal and be accompanied by any
person audited, the procedure produces one of the
supporting documentation the applicant wishes to subfollowing outcomes:
mit.
 PDUs accepted as reported
 PDUs denied due to lack of proper documentation
 PDUs denied that do not meet established criteria
Page 23
Decisions will be made by a majority vote of the CLCC
Appeals Sub-committee. Decisions of the Appeals
Sub-committee are final. All appeals and outcomes,
along with the complete documentation of each appeal, will be maintained at the ACLP office.
Failure to follow the application directions in this
manual is not grounds for an appeal. Appeals based
on perceived failures of reminders or notifications of
certification renewal will be heard only in extraordinary circumstances.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY APPLICATION IS NOT ACCEPTED?
Applicants for recertification through PDUs who fail
to complete the process as outlined herein may apply
to retake the examination within the final year of the
certification cycle. If, however, recertification is not
achieved through either method prior to the end of
the cycle, the individual’s certification will expire at
the end of the year. If certification expires, the individual will be required to start the certification process anew by re-establishing eligibility under the then
-current requirements and successfully completing
the examination.
5. From the drop down menu, select the activity type
that represents the session you are entering.
(Activity types are described in detail on pages 1421 of this document.)
6. Complete the necessary fields
7. After saving, you can “add another credit” or
“return to transcript.” The transcript or “PDU report” will allow you to see your progress toward
the recertification requirements.
SUBMITTING
PDUS
YOUR
APPLICATION
TO
RECERTIFY
THROUGH
When you have recorded all of the required PDUs and
are ready to submit the application to recertify:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Login to your profile
Click on “certification”
Click on “certification portal”
Click on “submit recertification”
Follow the on-screen instructions to assert your
agreement to abide by the Code of Professional
Practice, answer the required background questions, and complete your payment.
Once submitted you will be notified if your application
is accepted or if it is chosen for the random audit. If
the latter, you will be provided with additional information at that time.
If paying by check, please submit a copy of the application form (including the PDU tracking form) and
payment to:
REPORTING PDUS
Pre-approved ACLP Annual Conference sessions will automatically be entered in the online PDU tracking form.
Additional PDUs may be added online through your certification profile.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Login to your profile
Click on “certification”
Click on “certification portal”
Click on “Add PDUs”
Certification
Association of Child Life Professionals
1820 N Fort Myer Drive, Suite 520
Arlington, VA 22201
APPENDIX I
Child Life Professional Certification Program
Background Questions and Statements of Understanding
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you must submit an explanation on a separate sheet.
Background questions:
Yes/
No
Are you presently charged with, or have you ever been convicted of or found guilty of or pled nolo
contendere to, any felony or a misdemeanor which relates to the care, health or safety of children
or other individuals? Examples include but are not limited to: sexual or other abuse of a patient or
child, rape, crimes of violence, possession/use/sale of a controlled substance.
Have you ever been disciplined by a state board or health or child care professional association, or
are you presently being disciplined by such an entity?
Do you or have you during the past three years habitually used alcohol or any drug or substance or
had a physical or mental condition which would impair competent and objective professional performance of child life services and/or jeopardize public health and safety?
Certified Child Life Specialists are required to confirm their agreement to the following
Statements of Understanding:

I understand that if requested from the general public, CLCC will confirm my certification status
(active, inactive, lapsed, expired), effective/expiration dates, and identification number.

I understand that CLCC reserves the right to verify any information I have provided.

I understand that documents submitted to ACLP become the property of ACLP and will not be
returned.

I understand that aggregate data will be used for statistical study and review of the certification
process.

I have read, understand and agree to abide by the Code of Professional Practice (available at
GET NEW URL).

I have read and agree to abide by the ethical, security, confidentiality and other policies printed
in the Candidate and Recertification Manuals (available at www.childlife.org).

I have read and understand the conditions under which my certification can be revoked.
Please sign to confirm that you have read and agree to the above Statements of Understanding:
Signature
Date
APPENDIX II
This form to be used by individuals whose certification
status is “inactive” due to non-payment of certification
maintenance fees. Application must be made prior to
the end of the calendar year of the delinquent payment. Send this document along with payment to:
Certification
Association of Child Life Professionals
1820 N Fort Myer Drive, Suite 520
Arlington, VA 22201
Certified Child Life Specialist
Credential Reinstatement
Application
Updated 2013
5-Year Certification End Date
12/31/20________
ACLP ID# (if known)
Last
First
Name
MI
Maiden
Address



Street Address
Apt. Number
City, State
Zip Code
E-mail
Phone
I am applying for the reinstatement of the CCLS credential.
The maintenance payment that is overdue was due on January 31st of this calendar year.
I understand that as a result of the period my credential was inactive my certification expiration date and
deadlines to apply for recertification will NOT change.
Signature
Date
Membership Status at Time of Maintenance Fee Invoice:
Reinstatement Fees Schedule
CLC Member
Non-Member
Maintenance Fee
$40
$60
Late Fee
$25
$25
Reinstatement Fee
$50
$50
Total Due
$115
$135
Payment type (please circle one)
Visa
MasterCard
Check
Money order
$
Credit Card # or Check #
Exp Date & 3 digit security code
Name on credit card (if different from applicant)
Amount
Signature authorizing credit card payment:
Any questions about the completion of this form or the reinstatement policy/process should be directed to [email protected]
APPENDIX III
Professional Development Units (PDU) Verification Form
October 2014
Background
Recertification by Professional Development
Units (PDUs) provides Certified Child Life
Specialists (CCLSs) the opportunity to
choose continuing education and training
specific to their individual professional
needs.
Exam Content
Outline Domain
Certificants choosing the PDU option for
recertification must earn a minimum of 60
PDUs within their five-year certification
cycle. Of these, a specific number must relate
to each domain of the Exam Content Outline
as follows:
Required
# of PDUs
1. Professional Responsibility
Domain 3, Any Task
Professional Ethics
(Domain 3, Task 1)
10
5
2. Assessment
20
3. Intervention
15
The remaining 10 PDUs may align with any
of the three domains at the discretion of the
applicant.
Certificants may begin to accrue PDUs immediately after they have successfully completed the Child Life Professional Certification Examination and may track them
through their ACLP Online User Profile.
Recertification applications must be received no later than October 31st of the
year in which certification will expire.
Please see the Recertification Manual for
more information.
Purpose of Recertification
through PDUs
Recertification encourages CCLSs to keep
current with the profession and acts as a vehicle to demonstrate commitment to continued
growth. It is important that CCLSs be aware
of new developments in the field and update
their knowledge of best practices.
The recertification process requires CCLSs to
document knowledge and skill development
over a 5-year period in order to promote continued competency.
PDU Verification Form, page 1 of 3
PDU Activities and
Documentation
The following are acceptable types of
PDU activities:
 Attending Workshops/Courses
 Independent Learning
 Presenting
 Internship Supervision
 Publishing
 Professional Service
Within these categories, different activities earn a corresponding number
of PDUs. For these details, please
refer to the PDU Activities Chart on
page 2 and the Recertification Manual.
PDU activities require third-party verification. Each type of activity requires a specific kind of documentation. Including, in some cases, the
completion of this form.
Please refer to the PDU Activities
Chart on page 2 for types of appropriate activities and the corresponding
acceptable form of documentation.
Instructions
This form may be used as documentation of the following PDU activities:
 Workshops/Courses and Independ-
ent Learning
 Employer-provided continuing
education
 Webinars
 Workshop/seminar/lecture/
professional conference session
from university/college or continuing education providers
 Presenting
 Article review or case presentation to staff
 Professional in-service training,
instruction, or guest lecturer for
child life specialists or related
professionals
 Internship Supervision
 Direct floor supervisor for child
life intern (Internship coordinator
cannot be the applicant’s primary
role)
This form should be completed by
either the applicant’s supervisor or
a representative of the institution
sponsoring the activity.
The CCLS participating in the
activity should keep this form on
file should it be requested by
CLCC (in case of audit).
Important Notes
 ACLP does not pre-approve
PDUs.
 If your professional develop-
ment activity correlates to more
than one domain and task, you
must choose ONE domain and
task that BEST relates to the
content.
 Recertification
applicants are
required to have documentation
of their participation in all PDUs
submitted if requested by
CLCC.
 Recertification applicants should
NOT submit supporting materials with their application unless
requested by CLCC.
 A maximum of two (2) PDU
activities may be recorded on
this form. Additional copies
may be submitted.
 Photocopies of this form are
accepted.
 Applicants are encouraged to
keep for their records a copy of
this form and all materials submitted to CLCC.
Professional Development Unit (PDU) Activities
Activity
Verification Documentation
PDU Value
Traditional Professional Development (Conferences, Classes, etc.)
Association of Child Life Professionals Conference
1 hour = 1 PDU
Certificate of attendance
Association of Child Life Professionals Webinars
1 hour = 1 PDU
Certificate of attendance
Employer-provided continuing education
1 hour= 1 PDU
Workshops, seminars, lectures, professional conferences, or
webinars from continuing education providers, universities or
colleges (live or recorded)
Academic coursework
1 hour= 1 PDU
Certificate of attendance or PDU Verification
Form from sponsor/employer
Certificate of attendance or PDU Verification
Form from sponsor/employer
1 credit hour= 3 PDUs
College/university transcript
Independent Learning (Maximum of 10 PDUs per 5-year cycle)
Reading professional journal article or chapter and passing
test provided by sponsoring organization
1 test = 1 PDU
Sponsoring organization’s documentation of
completion
Presenting (Maximum of 20 PDUs per 5-year cycle)
Presenting or co-presenting a professional workshop, seminar,
or session at a state, national, or international conference
(one-time presentation per topic; time spent on preparation
cannot be included)
Presenting or co-presenting a professional poster session at a
state, national, or international conference (one-time presentation per topic)
1 hour = 2 PDU
Preparing and presenting article review and/or case presentation to staff (one-time presentation per topic)
1 article review/ presentation =
1 PDU
1 hour = 1 PDU
Presenting or co-presenting a professional in-service training,
instruction, or guest lecture for child life specialists or related
professionals in their hospital or workplace (one-time presentation per topic; time spent on preparation cannot be included)
1 poster = 2 PDU
1 hour = 1 PDU
Presenting or co-presenting for local organization, association,
or group on practice area-related topic (one-time presentation
per topic; time spent on preparation cannot be included)
Copy of presentation or program listing that
includes: presenter’s name; date, length, and
location of presentation; and contact person
for organization.
Copy of presentation or program listing that
includes: presenter’s name; date, length, and
location of presentation; and contact person
for organization.
PDU Verification Form from Director/Manager
Copy of attendance record and outline of
presentation, or PDU Verification Form from
sponsor/employer
Copy of presentation or program listing that
includes: presenter’s name; date, length, and
location of presentation; and contact person
for organization.
Internship Supervision (Maximum of 10 PDUs per 5-year cycle)
Direct floor supervisor for child life intern (Internship Coordinator cannot be the applicant’s primary role)
2 PDUs per 80 hours of student
supervision
PDU Verification Form from employer
Publishing or co-publishing a Focus article for the Association
of Child Life Professionals Bulletin
Publishing or co-publishing an article related to the psychosocial care of children in a peer-reviewed journal
1 Focus article= 3 PDUs
Copy of printed article
1 article = 3 PDUs
Copy of title page or table of contents
Publishing or co-publishing a book/chapter on child-life related topics
1 chapter = 3 PDUs
Copy of title page or table of contents
Publishing
Professional Service
Completion of a research project/study
2 PDUs
Copy of conclusion or summary
Serving on board of directors, committee, or task force for CLC
1 PDU per year
(Maximum 5 per 5- year cycle)
Association of Child Life Professionals Roster
Serving on professional board of directors, committee, or task
force related to the psychosocial care of children in a health
care environment
1 PDU per year
(Maximum 5 per 5- year cycle)
Verification from Board of the sponsoring
organization
PDU Verification Form, page 2 of 3
PLEASE PRINT
Check one PDU type
Workshops/Courses/Independent
Learning
 Employer-provided continuing education
 Workshops, seminars, lectures, professional
conferences, or webinars from continuing
education providers, universities or colleges
Presenting
 Article review or case presentation to staff
 Professional in-service training, instruction, or guest lecturer
for child life specialists or related professionals
Internship Supervision
 Direct floor supervisor for child life intern (Internship Coordinator cannot be the applicant’s primary role)
Title
Start Date (D/M/Y)
Sponsoring
Organization
End Date (D/M/Y)
Start Time
Location
(City, State)
End Time
Exam Content Outline
(Domain and Subdomain)
Number of PDUs
(See p.2 for details on how to calculate)
Check one PDU type
Workshops/Courses/Independent
Presenting
Learning
 Article review or case presentation to staff
 Professional in-service training, instruction, or guest lecturer
 Employer-provided continuing education
 Workshops, seminars, lectures, professional
conferences, or webinars from continuing
education providers, universities or colleges
 Professional Service
for child life specialists or related professionals
Internship Supervision
 Direct floor supervisor for child life intern (Internship Coordinator cannot be the applicant’s primary role)
Title
End Date (D/M/Y)
Sponsoring
Organization
Start Time
End Time
Location
(City, State)
Exam Content Outline
Number of PDUs
(Domain and Subdomain)
(See p.2 for details on how to calculate)
Start Date (D/M/Y)
ACLP ID# (if known)
Participant Name
By signing this form you attest that the above named individual participated in the PDU activities described above.
Name
Title
Organization
Signature
PDU Verification Form, page 3 of 3
Date
APPENDIX IV
Child Life Professional Certification
Exam Content Outline
Updated 2014
Domains and Tasks
(weights in parentheses)
Domain 1: Professional Responsibility (30%)
Number of
Questions
45
Tasks:
1
Maintain professional standards of practice through adherence to established ethical
guidelines in order to provide respectful and competent care (8%)
12
2
Promote professional relationships (e.g., children and families, child life team,
interdisciplinary teams, community resources) in order to enhance communication and
collaboration, foster child- and family-centered care, and maximize positive outcomes (7%)
11
3
Educate staff, students, volunteers, and the community in order to promote greater
awareness of the needs of children and families as well as the child life profession (7%)
10
4
Perform administrative responsibilities (3%)
5
5
Participate in selecting, training, supervising, evaluating, and retaining child life volunteers
(5%)
7
Domain 2: Assessment (30%)
45
Tasks:
1
Identify, obtain, and use relevant data (e.g., health care, family, child) to develop a
comprehensive assessment and initiate a plan of care (10%)
15
2
Identify developmental factors and their implications (10%)
15
3
Identify psychosocial factors and their implications (10%)
15
Domain 3: Intervention (40%)
60
Tasks:
1
Provide psychosocially and developmentally appropriate support that is responsive to
the specific needs of children and families (7%)
11
2
Empower and collaborate with children and families to develop and use advocacy
skills (6%)
Provide educational opportunities and resources that are responsive to the needs of
the child and family in order to promote learning and mastery (6%)
8
4
Facilitate preparation (e.g., psychological, educational) with the child and family in order
to minimize fear and anxiety and to promote mastery of their experience (7%)
11
5
Facilitate the utilization of effective coping strategies by the child and family in order
to minimize distress and promote empowerment (7%)
11
6
Facilitate play in order to encourage expression, process information, and promote
development and normalization (7%)
11
3
8
APPENDIX V
DEFINITIONS OF INTERNSHIP SUPERVISION ROLES
CLINICAL INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR:
Individual person who assumes responsibility for developing
and implementing the student internship experience.








Is responsible for the educational development and guidance of the intern in the clinical setting, including:
 Demonstrating, modeling & teaching professional behaviors and skills
 Defining action steps to achieve competence relative to
Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) Standards
of Clinical Practice and Competencies (see Official Documents of the Child Life Council/Association of Child
Life Professionals)
 Setting learning goals/objectives
 Creating and maintaining an effective learning environment
 Providing opportunities for exploring ethical issues
 Providing feedback regarding professional boundaries
 Facilitating the individual’s application of theory to
practice
 Orienting the individual to the placement site and policies
 Monitoring performance by observing the individual’s
progress and providing opportunities for discussion,
feedback and growth
Works with the clinical rotation supervisors throughout
the internship to educate, evaluate, mentor and coach
interns who wish to pursue a career in child life.
Ensures that the internship curriculum is consistent with
the ACLP Child Life Clinical Internship Curriculum.
Ensures educational opportunities for interns are available
to help them gain knowledge and experience in relation to
the child life competencies.
Serves as a liaison between the child life department and
academic institutions.
Provides oversight and support in providing accurate and
consistent evaluation of all interns enrolled in the internship experience.
Attests that all conditions and requirements set forth on
both pages of the verification form have been met.
Has weekly meetings with the interns
CLINICAL ROTATION SUPERVISOR:
Person who assumes responsibility of intern during
their rotation and provides direct and formal supervision.
Is responsible for the educational development and
guidance of the intern in the clinical setting to include:
 Demonstrating, modeling & teaching professional behaviors and skills
 Defining action steps to achieve competence
relative to ACLP’s Standards of Clinical Practice
and Competencies (see Official Documents of
the Child Life Council/Association of Child Life
Professionals)
 Setting learning goals/objectives
 Creating and maintaining an effective learning
environment
 Providing opportunities for exploring ethical
issues
 Providing feedback regarding professional
boundaries
 Facilitating the individual’s application of theory to practice
 Orienting the individual to the placement site
and policies
 Monitoring performance by observing the individual’s progress and providing opportunities
for discussion, feedback and growth
It is important for clinical rotation supervisors to:
 Have daily contact with the individual, working at
least 80% of the same hours
 Schedule private, weekly, formal, uninterrupted
supervision meetings with the intern
 Have no dual relationships with the intern (family
member, spouse, friend, etc.)
 Arrange for alternate supervision of the intern by
another CCLS in his/her absence
 Monitor the fulfillment of required hours
 Directly observe the intern in order to monitor
and evaluate performance
 Model for and then observe the intern demonstrating a minimum, entry-level professional competence
APPENDIX VI
Application for Child Life Professional
Recertification through
Professional Development Units (PDUs)
Updated September 2014
APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 31 of the year certification cycle ends
A PDU is a unit of measure for tracking continuing education credits.
All PDUs must be recorded in increments of at least 30
minutes or .5 PDU. Hours will be rounded down to the next
lowest .5 hour increment.
Conferences must be broken down into individual sessions.
Each conference breakout session attended must be listed
as a separate line entry on page 4 of this application.
Additional copies of page 4 may be submitted if more space
is required.
Current recertification fees can be found on the CLC website
under Certification—Recertification.
DO NOT send supporting documentation at this time. If randomly chosen for audit, you will be required to submit documentation at that time.
Candidates paying with a credit card are encouraged to track
and submit PDUs from their CLC Online user profile. If paying by
check, submit all pages of this form with payment to:
Certification
Association of Child Life Professionals
1820 N Fort Myer Drive, Suite 520
Arlington, VA 22201
571-483-4482
If you were certified/recertified prior to 2015:
You must earn a minimum of 50 PDUs during your current five-year certification cycle. You are not required to have PDUs in
each of the exam domains. However, candidates recertification must indicate a domain for each PDU. In your next certification
cycle you will be required to meet the following requirements
If you certify/recertify in 2015 or subsequent years:
You must earn a minimum of 60 PDUs. Additional requirements apply, please see the Recertification Manual for details.
Candidates for recertification MUST indicate a domain for each PDU. Of these, a specific number must relate to each domain of
the Exam Content Outline (Appendix IV) as follows:
A minimum of 15 of the 60 required PDUs must fall within the Professional Responsibility domain; of these a minimum of 5
must be related to professional ethics (Domain I, Task 1: Maintain professional standards of practice through adherence to established ethical guidelines in order to provide respectful and competent care).
A minimum of 20 of the 60 required PDUs must fall within the Assessment domain
A minimum of 15 of the 60 required PDUs must fall within the Intervention domain
The remaining 10 PDUs may align with any of the three domains at the discretion of the CCLS.
The following activity types will be accepted for PDUs:


Traditional professional
development
(conference sessions,
college courses, workshops, seminars)
Independent study




Presenting
Internship
supervision
Publishing
Professional
service
Within these categories, different activities earn a corresponding
number of PDUs. Some of these activities have been limited to a
specific number of PDUs within the five-year certification cycle
to prevent applicants from acquiring a limited range of professional development. Please see the Recertification Manual for
further information.
Application for Child Life Professional Recertification through Professional Development Hours (PDUs), page 1 of 4
Step 1. Contact Information
Last 4 Digits of
Social Security #
(or Social Insurance#):
ACLP ID# (if known)
Name
Last
First
MI
Maiden
Address
Street Address
Apt. Number
City, State
Zip Code
E-mail
Phone
Step 2. Certification History
Date You Passed the Exam
Have you previously RECERTIFIED?
Yes
No
In what year?
Current Certification Cycle Expiration Date
Step 3. Payment Information
*Please see ACLP website for current recertification fees*
Payment type (please circle one)
Visa
MasterCard
Check
Money order
$
Credit Card # or Check #
Exp Date & 3 Digit Security Code
Name on credit card (if different from applicant)
Amount*
Signature authorizing credit card payment:
For office use only—please do not write below this line
Member
Yes
No
Signed
Yes
No
PM
Invoice #
Batch #
Date Pmt Processed
# Accepted
Reviewed by
OK to Recertify
Notes
Application for Child Life Professional Recertification through Professional Development Units (PDUs), page 2 of 4
Rec’d
Yes
No
Step 4. Background Questions
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you must submit an explanation on a separate sheet.
Yes
No
Are you presently charged with, or have you ever been convicted of or found guilty of or pled nolo contendere
to, any felony or a misdemeanor which relates to the care, health or safety of children or other individuals?
Examples include but are not limited to: sexual or other abuse of a patient or child, rape, crimes of violence,
possession/use/sale of a controlled substance.
Have you ever been disciplined by a state board or a health care or child care professional association, or are
you presently being disciplined by such an entity?
Do you or have you during the past three years habitually used alcohol or any drug or substance or had a
physical or mental condition which would impair competent and objective professional performance of child life
services and/or jeopardize public health and safety?
Step 5. Statements of Understanding
Statements of Understanding



I attest that the information in this application is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
I have read, understand and agree to abide by the Code of Ethical Responsibility found on the ACLP Web site.
Upon recertification, I understand that if requested from the general public, the CLCC will confirm my certification status and
effective/expiration dates.




I understand that CLCC reserves the right to verify any information I have provided in this application.
I understand that my application and verification documents become the property of the CLCC and will not be returned.
I have read and agree to abide by ACLP’s security, confidentiality and other policies printed in the Candidate Manual.
I have read and understand the conditions under which my certification can be revoked.
Please sign to confirm that you have read and agree to the Statements of Understanding:
Signature
Date
Step 5. Record Professional Development Units (PDUs)
Please list on the following page all of your Professional Development Units. Be sure to complete ALL requested information and write legibly. For assistance with this form, please see the instructions on page 1. We recommend printing a
copy of the Exam Content Outline before starting. This can be found under Certification-The Examination-Exam Content
Outline on the ACLP website at www.childlife.org.
Examples
Session Title
Professional
Ethics: In Pursuit of
Doing the Right
Thing
The Family
Sponsor or
Institution
Exam
Content
Outline Domain
Date(s)
Beginning
& Ending
Times
Number of
of Sessions
(If Applicable)
Activity
Type
# of
PDUs
ACLP
I - Professional
Responsibility
5/29/14
11:00am 12:15pm
n/a
Presenting
2.5
Children’s
Hospital
II - Assessment
1/24/141/25/14
8-9am
2
Traditional
2
Application for Child Life Professional Recertification through Professional Development Units (PDUs), page 3 of 4
Date(s)
Beginning &
Ending Times
Number of
of Sessions
(If Applicable)
Activity
Type
Total # PDUs this Page (additional sheets may be used as necessary)
Exam Content
Outline
Domain
Application for Child Life Professional Recertification through Professional Development Units (PDUs), page 4 of 4
Session Title
Sponsor or
Institution
Professional Development Hour (PDU) Tracking Form
# of
PDUs