Pilot Concept Website — Association in Formation.

No board has been constituted, no courses are currently offered, no certification program is accepting enrollment, and no membership is yet open.

International Association of Healthcare Clowning
Frequently Asked Questions

Questions we get.
Answered honestly.

Including the questions where the honest answer is "we don't know yet." IAHC is in formation, and we would rather tell you that plainly than pretend otherwise.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

This FAQ will grow as the organisation develops and as we hear from practitioners, researchers, and healthcare institutions around the world. If your question is not here, please ask it. It probably belongs here, and your answer will help the next person who has the same one.

We also genuinely want to hear from you if something here is wrong, incomplete, or does not reflect your experience of the field.

Ask us directly
IAHC

The international benchmark for healthcare clowning standards, training, and certification.

therapeuticclowning.org

Language / Langue

IAHC is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is the organisation's firm intention to operate as a fully bilingual body in both English and French, in keeping with Canada's official languages and the international character of this field. French-language versions of all pages, documents, and communications are a founding commitment, not an afterthought.

We are actively looking for francophone practitioners, translators, or volunteers willing to support this work. If you have the skills and the interest, we would genuinely love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected] with the subject line "Bilingual support" and tell us a little about yourself.

Legal Disclaimer

The International Association of Healthcare Clowning (IAHC) is a professional standards organisation in formation. It is not a medical body, a clinical authority, a regulatory college, or a licensed healthcare institution. IAHC does not provide medical advice, clinical guidance, diagnoses, treatment recommendations, or any form of healthcare service. Nothing on this website should be interpreted as medical or clinical advice of any kind, nor as a substitute for the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional.

IAHC has no formal affiliation with, and does not speak on behalf of, any hospital, health authority, government body, regulatory college, or medical association. References to healthcare settings, clinical environments, or medical institutions on this website are made in the context of describing the professional field of healthcare clowning and do not imply endorsement, partnership, or institutional approval of any kind.

IAHC has not established formal partnerships, affiliations, memoranda of understanding, or working agreements with any organisation, institution, association, or body referenced, named, or linked on this website. All such references are made for informational and contextual purposes only, to describe the broader landscape of the field. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement by those organisations of IAHC, nor endorsement by IAHC of those organisations. This website is a discussionary and resource hub, reflecting a field in formation. No content should be read as representing the position, policy, or approval of any third party.

Individuals named on this website as proposed founding board members or nominees are identified in an exploratory and voluntary capacity only. Their inclusion does not constitute a formal appointment, a binding commitment, or the assumption of any legal role or fiduciary duty. Named individuals carry no personal liability for the proposed activities, content, or representations of IAHC at this stage of formation.

Any membership tiers, pricing, or fee structures referenced on this website are indicative only, subject to board ratification, and may change without notice. No financial commitment, contractual obligation, or binding agreement of any kind arises from pricing information displayed on this site. IAHC does not currently operate a payment system, accept donations, or collect membership fees.

All third-party intellectual property, trademarks, published works, research, and organisational names referenced or cited on this website remain the exclusive property of their respective owners. Citation, reference, or linking does not imply permission, licence, endorsement, or any form of affiliation between those parties and IAHC.

Information about third-party organisations, programs, and resources presented on this website, including the Global Map and Resources Library, is compiled from publicly available sources for informational purposes only. IAHC cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of that information and accepts no liability for errors, omissions, or changes in third-party content.

Nothing on this website constitutes an offer of employment, a formal appointment to any position, or the creation of any contractual or fiduciary relationship. Descriptions of proposed roles, governance structures, and board positions are illustrative of the organisation's intended direction and carry no legal effect at this stage. IAHC is currently in its formation stage and has not yet been formally ratified, registered, or incorporated. The standards, certification frameworks, training programs, and governance structures described on this website are proposed and in development. They do not yet carry legal or regulatory standing. All content is provided for informational purposes only and is subject to change as the organisation develops. IAHC accepts no liability for decisions made on the basis of information contained on this website.

© 2026 International Association of Healthcare Clowning. All rights reserved.

This website was developed with the assistance of AI. All content is being reviewed and vetted for accuracy and authenticity; corrections will be made as the organisation develops. Photography is licensed for commercial use through Getty Images.

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