Child Life Program

Needing medical care can be frightening for anyone, and especially so for children. That's why Sutter hospitals offer the Child Life Program. Sutter’s specially trained child life specialists use their expertise in child development and family dynamics to support you and your child during a hospital stay, surgery or a visit to the pediatric emergency department. Our caring specialists offer:

• Professional assessment of your child’s adjustment and reaction to a medical situation.
• Age-appropriate explanation of medical procedures and terms so that even younger children understand what is happening and why.
• Therapeutic play to help your child express feelings associated with hospitalization.
• Age-appropriate instruction on coping techniques to help your child through care that may be uncomfortable or scary.
• Counseling for families and facilitation of family support, such as sibling visits.
• Assistance with homework and coordination with your child’s school.
• Activities and games that let your child feel mastery over a situation and more in control over his or her hospital experience.
• Fun distractions that can take your child’s mind off of anxiety, sadness or discomfort.
• Child-appropriate entertainment and special events for families in the hospital.
• Special programs, including pet, art and music therapy, playrooms for children and teens, pediatric surgery tours and school programs for hospitalized children.

Support for Siblings and Families

In addition to the many services for pediatric patients, Sutter hospitals also provide programs for siblings and families. These include:

• Antepartum child life services. For women who are hospitalized or put on bed rest prior to birth, child life experts work to minimize the effects of bed rest and hospitalization on older siblings. They also assist in finding appropriate activities for young children and expecting mothers to engage in together, either at the hospital or at home.
• NICU child life services for parents. This service includes teaching parents how to provide developmentally appropriate stimulation for their pre-term infant.
• NICU child life services for siblings. Parents can schedule a “Sib Session” with a NICU child life specialist, who utilizes medical play, real hospital equipment and pictures to prepare children for the experience of visiting their newborn brother or sister in the NICU.