A hospital can be a very intimidating and frightening place for children and adolescents with many new faces and a feeling of complete loss of control. Some common fears that children develop about hospitals are separation anxiety, strangers, needles, bodily injury, helplessness, death, and the unknown. The inpatient pediatric has a Certified Child Life Specialist to help patients and their families cope with these fears. We want to provide a safe and non-threatening environment for children to express themselves and practice family-centered care.
The Child Life Program here at Georgetown provides therapeutic play and recreational activities that offer support to your child and family as they cope with hospitalization, illness and treatment.
Child Life specialists help to reduce the stress and anxiety that many children experience in hospital and healthcare settings. A Child Life Specialist is a professional who is specially trained to help children and their families understand and manage challenging life events and stressful healthcare experiences. Child Life Specialists are skilled in providing developmental, educational, and therapeutic interventions for children and their families under stress. Child Life Specialists support growth and development while recognizing family strengths and individuality, and respecting different methods of coping.
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Why Play?
Play helps a child develop a sense of mastery in a challenging hospital setting and enables the child to have some control over their current environment. Through play, children can feel safe to express their feelings. We want our children to feel a sense of normalcy through play. Play also keeps our children well distracted during their time here.
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How can a Child Life Specialist help your child and family? 
Together, with your family and your health care team, the role of the Child Life Specialist is to:
- Increase the understanding of hospital and stressful experiences.
- Recognize and support strengths within the family.
- Provide an environment that includes emotional support.
- Promote normal growth and development.
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Child Life Program Services
- Non-medical preparation & distraction for tests, surgeries, and other medical procedures.
- Therapeutic medical play using special dolls, stuffed animals and medical equipment.
- Activities to continue normal growth and development in patient rooms and/or playroom.
- Volunteer supervised playroom with arts supplies, board games, video games, computers.
- Studio G Artist in Residence Program with 10 different artists visiting twice a month.
- Coordination of special events, birthdays, milestones, and holiday celebrations.
- Animal Assisted Activities/Therapy; Trained dogs will visit medically cleared children.
- HoyaDreams Dream Days and Hospital Visits with Georgetown University Athletes.
- Starlight Children's Foundation laptops and FunCenters with GameCube/Nintendo Wii.
- Sibling support and education during diagnosis, treatment and hospital visits.
- Assist in tutoring referrals to Education Inc. and School Re-Entry with social workers.
- Coordinate volunteers to help provide play at bedside and in playroom for all patients.
- Disney FunFlicks/Lollipop Theater Network Movie Screenings.
- Support for grief and bereavement issues with healthcare team.
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Child Life Program Hours
Child Life services are available Monday through Friday from 9:30AM to 6PM.
The Playroom is open Monday through Friday from 9AM to 9PM and Saturday and Sunday from 9AM to 5PM.
