Did you know that during the first 24 hours of hospitalization, it is estimated that a child may come in contact with as many as 53 new people? That's why, at Miami Children's Hospital we believe in having someone specially trained to meet the child's emotional needs and help sort out this place called a hospital.
The Child Life Department is here to provide a safe, non-threatening environment which allows for expression through positive outlets and normalcy in an unfamiliar setting. We're here to help both child and family gain greater understanding of medical procedures, thus reducing stress and fear of the unknown. These goals are accomplished through various programs.
Child Life Specialists are non-medical members of a medical care team. They serve as advisors, teachers and sources of comfort, helping families and children talk about everything from X-rays and surgeries to concerns about the future.
Child Life Specialists strive to help patients and families reduce the stress that accompanies the hospitalization of a child. They accomplish this by providing patients and families with coping mechanisms and imparting knowledge to the child in ways that he or she can understand. Child Life Specialists also work to maintain an environment within the hospital where children can be children, creating opportunities for play and interaction with other youngsters, when appropriate. The Miami Children's Hospital (MCH) staff includes a team of nine Child Life Specialists and one Child Life Assistant. A specialist is available seven days a week to ensure that each child's unique needs are met.
Child Life Specialists know how to meet the special needs of children at every step of development and can help them cope with the changes that hospitalization brings. The Child Life Specialist follows a professional code that dictates: don't hide the truth from patients, let them know it is okay to cry, give them control whenever possible and… let kids be kids.