An important ideology with the realm of Youth Development is Risk, Resiliency, and Prevention. As explained to me the belief behind the ideology is "Teens' brains are not fully developed, and so teens do not always make the 'best' decisions. Children and teens need specific coaching in how to make good choices for themselves. Urban youth lack 'cultural capital'". (Citation)
What does this all mean?
This video gives a very in depth view of Risk, Resiliency, and Prevention for Children for many different factors. These include COVID, substance abuse, and suicide.
Why is this important?
Dr. Dawn Elise Snipes explains that people "need to remember the impact we have on our family and the impact they have on us. So when our children are sick for example, you know that is really stressful and effects us as well". (Citation) We have heard this in the literature and from Dr. Bowen - when one member of the family is sick, the entire family is ill - a child's illness affects everyone. (Citation)
So what does this have to do with Child Life?
For child life specialists, it may not affect them at all. Families may have the means to take on a family illness without it affecting siblings or other members of the family. Wealthy families are able to have a babysitter at home taking care of other children while the parents are at a hospital with a sick child, they may be able to get time out of work, and have the resources available to help the child with any learning of physical difficulties they may have after a diagnosis. However, this is not the case for all families with children in the hospital. Shayla gave a very different view on Child Life during her interview. Sometimes a child life specialist has the "simple" job of making sure the families of patients have what they need in the moment. Whether it is a mom who needs a warm blanket or a sibling who needs something to eat while waiting in the emergency room with their families because they had no one else to watch them. Shayla's work in an urban part of the country gives a very true to life, and unexpectedly opposing, view than what I had always associated with Child Life.
Sometimes while working with youth and families as a child life specialists it is also about helping to prevent depression and anxieties in the hospital by working with the families to educate, understand, and by providing resources.
It seems like Shayla is talking about engaging in a particular kind of care that is about providing small resources and comfort (e.g. a blanket, food). This makes me think of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Shayla is ensuring that the poor families with whom she works have basic needs being met -- the base of the pyramid. These are needs that maybe wealthier families with financial resources may already have.
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