Child Life Program
Supporting Your Child's Health Care Journey
Child Life Specialists are pediatric healthcare professionals with expertise in child development and psychosocial care and support. Child Life Specialists work alongside patients and their families, in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, to provide:
- Therapeutic play and developmental support
- Education to decrease anxiety through increasing understanding (teaching about the healthcare environment, procedures, and diagnoses in ways children can understand and process)
- Emotional support and rehearsing coping skills
- Support with coping strategies before, during, and after procedures or experiences that a child may feel are scary, painful, or overwhelming
- Education for caregivers about their child’s developmental and psychosocial needs
With an emphasis on promoting understanding of medical care for both patients and their families, a Child Life Specialist can help patients become active members of their healthcare team.
