Our group is now looking at adopting "best practice" guidelines that would cover all types of clowning for people with health care or other special concerns.

It's a brand new idea for us, and we are very happy to be reforming as an organization based on a non-profit format, rather than a club.

Key components to this organization are:
1. Annual 30-hour training.
2. Application process to any of our programs (Hospital, Hospice, Senior Living, Special Needs Kids).
3. Supervised practice prior to certification.
4. Annual recertification.
5. Monthly education presentations addressing health issues that could pertain to any program (i.e. blindness), followed by brainstorming session on how to adapt clowning shtick to address concerns of patients/staff/families with that particular issue.

So, clearly, my vote would be yes, I do think people are wise to obtain some kind of certification, and to make a committment to their consumers to maintain a level of professionalism, ethics, and continuing clown development.

I would also support the idea of having national standards, and an organization with a clearly defined set of ideals that could provide some sort of certification. However, I see some obstacles: getting people to AGREE on standards would be difficult and time consuming, then steps for certification would have to be worked out logistically.

It would be interesting and educational to try and see what happens! The worst that could happen is that we could learn something.

~Mary "0)

What about establishing something like, for instance, The International Academy of Caring Clowns, LLC. That organiztion could then publish standards (useing these you've listed and/or others) and invite Caring Clowns to become "Fellows," in the I.A.C.C., LLC. The LLC part would help insure all members from the "errors and omissions" of any one member, and secure the organiztion from being detroyed by a lawsuit (perhaps). I could investigate this with my son, who is a lawyer. It seems to me that if I were able to present credentials from an entity such as IACC, hospital administrators and Child Life directors would be more willing to "audition" me and/or other members of the organization. Who is good at setting up something like this? Let's try to do it.

I think this has some merit.

As things grow we are finding more concerns about this

Having standards is an excellent idea. Caring clowning is important, serious work, and should be treated as such.

The best performer without heart will not be a good caring clown, but a warm hearted untrained clown is not good, either.

Standards will allow institutions such as hospitals to know what they can expect from clowns, which can provide an inroad.

A major problem is enforcement.