The Child Life Program aims to ease fears and decrease the stress of hospitalization through promoting positive coping skills for pediatric patients and families. Our Certified Child Life Specialists are specifically trained at the bachelor’s or master’s level in child development and understand the unique stressors that pediatric patients and their families face when entering the hospital. Our specialists partner with the patient, family and other members of the health care team to help make the hard parts of being at the hospital more manageable based on the child and family’s unique needs.
Child Life Specialists utilize a variety of research-based interventions to support infants through teenagers and their families throughout their hospitalization including:
Child Life Specialists can help support children and families during end-of-life situations and can help explain death to children in ways that are understandable and age-appropriate. They can provide opportunities for memory-making by creating handprints, facilitating family art projects, and collecting locks of hair. Child Life Specialists also provide resources for ongoing grief support.
Certified Child Life Specialists currently serve patients in Pediatrics, Pediatric ICU, Pediatric ER, Surgery, Radiology, Endoscopy, Neonatal ICU and the St. Jude Affiliate Clinic at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. When available, they also provide support to children of adult patients at Huntsville Hospital.
To donate toys or resources to help our patients and families, please see our wish list or contact us.
For additional information or to contact the Child Life Program, please call (256) 265-7242.
Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children is an affiliate of the Huntsville Hospital Health System
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