A hospital stay can be frightening and stressful for children. Child Life helps to make the experience more positive by providing the following services:

• Medical Preparation
  Child life specialists can help children understand what will happen at the hospital. By giving just the right amount of information, based on the child’s age, a child’s fears of their upcoming experience can be lessened.
  
• Support During Procedures
  Child life specialists can help reduce pain and anxiety during medical procedures. They offer coping and breathing techniques and provide emotional support.
  
• Pre-Surgery Tours
  Tours are offered to allow children and families to become familiar with the hospital environment before the child’s admission for surgery.
  
• Medical Play
  Medical play uses real or pretend medical equipment and supplies to help children become more comfortable in the hospital. This allows children to express their feelings, talk about misconceptions, and become more calm about the hospital experience. 
  
• Therapeutic Play
  Therapeutic play activities can help decrease pain, meet treatment goals, teach new skills and shorten recovery time. Play activities can take place at a child’s bedside or in a playroom.
  
• Support for Brothers and Sisters
  Brothers and sisters are affected by illness and injury, too. They may need help understanding what is happening and how to work through their feelings and concerns about their sibling. Specialists are available to help brothers and sisters by giving support and answering their questions.

A key function of child life is promoting family-centered care, which involves parents and family members in a child’s care.

Family-Centered Care
The family-centered care philosophy supports the belief that health care providers and the family are partners who work together to meet a child’s needs.

Core concepts:

• Choice
  We provide the information families need to make educated choices about treatment. Family members cope better with their child’s illness when they understand treatment options.
• Respect
  Family-centered care involves respect for each family’s values, beliefs, customs and background. Respect is also demonstrated for family strengths and the central role of the family in a child’s life.
• Information Sharing
  Our clinical staff members provide medical information to families and value the personal information families provide about their children.
  • Support
    We respect families’ decisions, offer comfort as they cope with their child’s illness and work to meet social, developmental and emotional needs.
  • Collaboration
    Medical staff and family members work together in the best interest of the child. Families are involved in all aspects of planning and delivering medical care.
  • Empowerment
    Family-centered care acknowledges that family members have the right and authority to care for their children.