Children today are confronted by a wide variety of stressful and traumatic events that may be overwhelming or may hinder their ability to cope and heal in a timely manner before reaching adulthood and becoming effective members of society. Child life specialists are academically trained professionals with expertise in helping children and their families cope with life's challenging events and navigate stressors from healthcare experiences to child welfare experiences. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other professional associations have recognized the importance of child life professionals in meeting the psychosocial needs of children and youth in times of healing and crisis, yet there has been little understanding and awareness of child life as a discipline. This research addresses the child life profession and the discipline from an academic perspective as well as its existence as a public good to generate awareness and acknowledgement of it as an essential profession for infants, children, youth, and their families. Limited research has demonstrated a basic knowledge of the value discipline in healthcare and non-healthcare settings; however, there is a lack of research on child life academic programs and their function within higher education. A qualitative research approach was selected as the most appropriate methodology. In doing a case study of a child life academic program, a university that met my criteria was selected to collect my data, which consisted of (a) interviewing 20 participants associated with the university's academic program, (b) observing activities, and (c) reviewing artifacts. Findings demonstrated how the research questions were answered in terms of a child life curriculum designed for community engagement and the academic program existing as a public good. Additional discoveries detailed the tensions that surfaced between the profession and society. Participants' passion for the child life profession was evident through the interview conversations, as was the significance of a child life education in moving the discipline forward and engaging with the community for advancement. The connection between academic presence, the professional practice, and the community exposed the idea that the interdependence of the three were critical for not only the public good, but also for the future of the child life sub-discipline to move to the place where it is no longer considered a shadow discipline. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]