Child Life

Child Life Specialists provide emotional support for families and encourage optimum development for children facing a broad range of challenging experiences related to healthcare and hospitalization.  The American Academy of Pediatrics affirms that Child Life is “…an essential component of quality pediatric health care,” and, at Memorial Children’s Hospital, Child Life Specialists work as integral members of the multidisciplinary team of nurses, physicians, social workers, dieticians, therapists, and others.

Services provided by Child Life Specialists may include: 

1. advocating for the special needs of hospitalized infants, children, teens and their families throughout the healthcare institution
2. using play and activities as a way to help patients adjust to being hospitalized and understand the medical treatments, procedures and equipment needed for their care (link here to Child Life Council Evidence-Based Practice Statement Summary)
3. providing age appropriate information about medical experiences
4. offering emotional support and suggestions for coping with fear, anxiety and being away from home or family
5. promoting development by helping children do things that are part of their normal routine

The Child Life program at Memorial Children’s Hospital offers patients and their families special events throughout the week to help normalize the hospital environment and encourage activity similar to what a patient may be experiencing if they were at home.  Some of those special events include:

• VSA Arts of Indiana, a program of art opportunities provided by a teaching artist. (Link to VSA web site)
  
• HealthWorks! Kids Museum, “Germ Busters”, a program that teaches participants about good hand-washing and dental care practices, including fun activities, craft projects like making homemade toothpaste, etc.  (Link to HealthWorks!)
  
• Pet Therapy, a program that brings a specifically trained and certified dog to visit interested patients.  (Link to the Delta Society?)
  
• Various Community Visitor Events bringing music, crafts, and entertainment to pediatric patients.  (Link to our community visitor guidelines or policy?)
  
• Various Volunteers who give of their time, and energy, through reading, playing board, card and video games, playing with toys, and making craft projects with patients, decorating patient rooms/unit for seasonal and holiday events, helping with homework, etc.  (Link to the volunteer application, etc. which Jeanne Blad has created)