Child life specialists are trained professionals with expertise in helping children and their families overcome life’s most challenging events, including hospital stays and medical procedures.
Armed with a strong background in child development and family systems, child life specialists promote effective coping through play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities. We provide emotional support for families, and encourage optimum development of children facing challenging experiences. Because we understand that a child’s wellbeing depends on the support of the family, child life specialists provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members as well. Here are a few ways Child Life Specialists at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital can help while your child is with us:
- Developmentally Appropriate Activities in Groups or at Bedside
Our children’s activities are based on age, ability, interest, and needs. Group activities are held in the infant, toddler and preschool playroom, the school-age playroom, Lion’s Den or the art studio. If your child is unable to leave the room, activities can be brought to the bedside. Group activities help children socialize with peers, serve to normalize the hospital experience and provide opportunities for self expression. Bedside activities are designed to meet individual needs. - Medical Play
Children of all ages are encouraged to play with “pretend” or actual medical equipment as a way of learning about the hospital environment and its procedures. Medical play allows children to act out their feelings and concerns, while also alerting the Child Life Specialist to any misconceptions a child may have. - Preparation
Research has shown that preparing children properly before a procedure helps them cope both during and after their hospitalization. Using developmentally appropriate language, children learn about upcoming procedures, focusing on the sensations they are likely to experience such as sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. Special teaching dolls and photo preparation books are commonly used. - Procedural Support
Child Life staff members help children to develop their own coping strategies for reducing anxiety and stress during procedures through the use of imagery, distraction, relaxation and music. Child Life staff will also assist you in supporting your child during procedures.
Creative Arts Therapy
The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department helps you and your child adjust to and understand hospitalization, illness, injury, and treatment. The Child Life team is comprised of Certified Child Life Specialists, a Board Certified Music Therapist and a Board Certified Art Therapist, all of whom are professionals with advanced training in areas related to working with children and families in medical settings. All team members hold either Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees in the areas of child life, child development, music therapy or art therapy. In addition, each team member maintains professional certification in their respective field.
Our Mission
The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department’s mission is to provide children and their families facing traumatic and complex healthcare challenges with clinical interventions of Child Life, Art Therapy and Music Therapy services. As vital members of an advanced healthcare team, we aspire to advocate, respond, and focus on supportive services that address the emotional and psychological needs of the individual patient and their family system. Our purpose is to foster understanding and coping, mastery and empowerment by using creative self-expressive mediums and developmentally, supportive therapeutic play opportunities to reduce the stress and anxiety related to illness, injury and hospitalization.
Special Programs and Visitors
Special programs are planned throughout the year to provide entertainment as well as distraction from the daily hospital routine.
Special events and visitors to the hospital are important components of our program as they offer your child something to look forward to during their hospitalization. These events include holiday celebrations, and regular performances by magicians, among others.
Psychosocial and Emotional Support
The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy team provides social and emotional support for children and their families.
Support comes in many ways, such as connecting families who are facing similar conditions/illnesses, providing education on hospitalization issues that arise, helping siblings cope and lending a listening ear when needed.
Child Abuse Education and Prevention
The Division of Academic General Pediatrics contributes to regional efforts to educate parents and care-providers on how to identify, prevent and intervene in child abuse.
- Hudson Valley Shaken Baby Prevention Initiative
The Hudson Valley Shaken Baby Prevention Initiative, funded through the New York State Office for Children and Family Services, involves 22 hospitals in 8 counties within the Hudson Valley region. This project delivers standardized educational information to caregivers of infants regarding stress reduction and anger management, focusing on prevention of shaking injuries through several venues. - Supportive Child Abuse Network (SCAN Team)
The Supportive Child Abuse Network (SCAN Team) is a group of trained and dedicated social workers, doctors, nurses, and others from multiple disciplines working at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. The team meets on a regular basis to provide education, support and oversight of child abuse and neglect cases using a family-oriented approach.
The Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital serves as a referral hub for child abuse and neglect for the Hudson Valley Region. Our forensic pediatric and social work team provides family-centered care to children and adolescents facing issues of child abuse and neglect. Our supportive Child Advocacy Team works closely with representatives from law enforcement and child protective services, as well as with the Children’s Advocacy Center at the Westchester Institute for Human Development. This multi-disciplinary model ensures maximum coordination of services with minimal trauma to children and families. The program provides ongoing education and training to community and hospital professionals regarding issues of child abuse and neglect.