Keynote Speaker

KEYNOTE SPEAKER — Child Life Specialist Kimberly Leighton of Bridgton, who operates Play Warriors, Inc., was recently the keynote speaker at the New England Child Life Professionals Conference. Her talk was “In Your Own Backyard: Reimagining Child Life Where it is Needed Most.” The talk focused on the unique skills that child life specialists have to offer services outside of the hospital and into the community, the gaps in services that child life could support, and a call to action to spread awareness of child life and advocating for services in schools, out-patient clinics, shelters, prisons, and private practice. Leighton is pictured with her two child life interns, Courtney Brochu, MS, Texas Women’s University, of Scarborough, and Makayla Mundwiller, BS Missouri State University, of Washington, Missouri. “I am hoping to lead more Maine college students to the child life path as only one CCLS has been certified in Maine in the past five years,” Leighton said. “I am also re-opening an office at 55 Main Street in Bridgton, in addition to our new center in Windham.”