Child Life Services
Child Life Services
Our Child Life team consists of a Child Life Program Coordinator, Certified Child Life Specialists, and a team of volunteers.
Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) will work with you to support your child’s emotional needs. Child life specialists are available to help prepare children and adolescents for medical treatments and procedures. They use developmentally appropriate teaching tools like imagery, distraction and relaxation to reduce anxiety and help children develop coping strategies.
Child life specialists are trained to focus on the psychosocial needs of children, collaborating with parents and other health care staff to:
- Provide children (patients or siblings) with developmentally appropriate diagnosis education regarding treatment
- Encourage understanding and cooperation by providing preparation and support for children undergoing tests, surgeries and other medical procedures
- Develop coping plan and provide various methods of distraction during medical tests and procedures
- Ease a child’s fear and anxiety with therapeutic and normalizing play opportunities to encourage coping, development and expression of feelings for patients and siblings
- Advocate for patient and family-centered care
- Consider the needs of siblings or other children who may also be affected by a child’s illness or trauma
- Provide education and resources for parents and members of the interdisciplinary team
The Child Life Program Coordinator works alongside the child life specialists to facilitate play opportunities in the hospital environment as well as maintain a playroom.
For more information about child life student programming, please visit Internships & Student Programming
HOW CHILD LIFE SPECIALISTS CAN HELP
Being Admitted to the Hospital?
Staying at the hospital can sometimes be stressful. Children may be nervous or worried and have questions and/or have behavioral changes prior to a hospitalization.
- A CLS will meet with your child on admission day to provide age-appropriate preparation for their hospitalization and answer any questions they may have.
- Pre-admission tours are available to your child. These can be beneficial to help alleviate nervousness prior to admission day.
The Child Life Program Coordinator works alongside the child life specialists to facilitate play opportunities in the hospital environment as well as maintain a playroom.
Here for a Clinic Appointment?
Coming to the hospital for a clinic appointment can be stressful, too. If your child is nervous or has questions about coming to their appointment, a CLS can help prepare the child by answering questions as well as being present for the following:
- Potentially stressful experiences
- Cast applications/cast removal
- IV placement
- Injections
- Lab draw
- Radiology procedure
- Surgery discussion
- Pill swallowing education