Liddle Kidz Foundation

The Liddle Kidz Foundation (LKF) is a registered non-profit organization based in the United States for infant and pediatric massage professionals worldwide. Founded by Tina Allen, Liddle Kidz Foundation provides infant and pediatric massage in hospitals, health care settings, pediatric hospice, orphanages, and other children’s care organizations across the globe. In addition, Liddle Kidz Foundation offers certification training in infant and pediatric massage to parents, massage therapists, and other children’s healthcare providers—its educational CEUs are approved internationally.
Accreditation
The Liddle Kidz Foundation is an approved CE provider by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, the American Massage Therapy Association, Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals, and for massage therapists and healthcare providers internationally, offering certification as a Certified Infant Massage Teacher (CIMT), and for those already certified to provide massage and touch therapy, a Certified Pediatric Massage Therapist (CPMT).
Mission
LKF uses pediatric massage and touch therapy to provide children with experiences of appropriate nurturing touch, which they often lack when growing up in institutions like orphanages.
With nurturing, compassion and touch therapy, children are more likely to develop and reach their full potential as adults. One goal of the Liddle Kidz Foundation is to meet the tactile needs of children in orphanages and other institutions—so they work directly with the families and healthcare providers of those children in pediatric hospitals, hospices, and orphanages to provide comprehensive services, consultation, education, program development and support. Another goal of the Liddle Kidz Foundation is to further the development of touch therapy services for vulnerable and under-served populations internationally. The group aims to provide education and support to create replicable and sustainable change.
Infant and pediatric massage therapy have been shown to enhance growth and brain development, sensory integration, sleep regulation, and verbal and nonverbal communication. Children receiving massage have also been shown to develop stronger bonds with their caregivers, establishing a solid foundation for their future.
History
Tina Allen of the Liddle Kidz Foundation managed the first comprehensive pediatric massage program in the United States at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), where she trained volunteer massage therapists and medical professionals to work with hospitalized Rehabilitation patients, medically complex infants in the Center for Newborn and Infant Critical Care (CNICC), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Children with Retinoblastoma, Spina Bifida and Cerebral Palsy. She developed pediatric massage programs at Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as well as a program focusing on introducing gentle compassionate touch to women and children who have survived domestic abuse. She is currently working with the Mayo Clinic, Connecticut Children’s Hospital, and AI DuPont/Nemours Foundation to implement comprehensive infant and pediatric massage programs.
Current programs
Liddle Kidz Foundation travels with volunteer healthcare providers internationally to provide infant and pediatric massage instruction to caregivers in orphanages, hospitals, and other children’s care organizations, as well as direct, hands-on massage therapy and nurturing touch to children. LKF has taken orphanage volunteers to Thailand and Viet Nam, with future trips being organized for Ghana, Ecuador, Peru, Cambodia, and more.
Liddle Kidz Foundation provides caregivers with instruction in infant and pediatric massage as well as other soothing techniques, and aims to meet the emotional and touch needs of the babies, children, and adolescents in their care and to provide appropriate stimulation and interaction to promote healthy brain development, self-confidence and self-esteem.

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