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Child Life at Children's

Specialist Team at our Pediatric Hospitals

What is Child Life? 

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta provides a child life specialist team of trained professionals who work with patients and families to help reduce the stress and anxiety that can be associated with the healthcare experience.  The child life team works to meet the developmental, psychological, educational, and emotional needs of patients and families through a variety of services. These service include diagnosis education, psychological preparation for medical procedures, procedure support and therapeutic activities.  Child life specialists promote coping and normalization by offering opportunities for patients to play, learn, and interact with others. Child life specialists also provide education, preparation, and support for parents and siblings of the hospitalized child.  Trained with an understanding of normal human development and the impact of hospitalization, child life specialists provide services to specific populations or groups of patients/families based on the Child Life Council’s Professional Standards of Clinical Practice (CLC, revised 2001).

Mission, Vision and Values 

The Child Life department of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has adopted the Child Life Council’s mission, vision and values. For further information please contact Child Life Council.

Support for Child Life

We Are One Designs will donate 20 percent of every jewelry purchase made on their site to the Children's Child Life department. Mina Yamada, co-founder of the Web site, wanted to support Children's Child Life department after she saw firsthand how they helped her child cope with a liver transplant.

 

What is a Child Life Specialist? 

Child life specialists are trained in child development and how children respond to hospitalization and illness. Through education and play, a child life specialist at one of our pediatric hospitals can help your child understand and cope with his/her hospital experience. A child life specialist can help you:

  • Teach your child about illness, treatment and surgery
  • Support your child during stressful experiences
  • Provide support for your child during procedures
  • Help your child express feelings about illness/treatment
  • Provide you with ways to help your child cope

The Child Life department at Children’s includes child life coordinators, child life specialists, students and activity assistants on both the Egleston and Scottish Rite campuses. Services are provided in the following areas:

  • Cardiology
  • Child Protection Center 
  • Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary/Urology
  • Day Surgery/Pre-op clinic
  • Emergency  Department
  • General Pediatrics
  • Hematology/Oncology/ Bone Marrow Transplant
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
  • Radiology
  • Rehabilitation
  • Renal/Dialysis
  • Surgical/Orthopedics
  • Technology Dependent Intensive Care Unit
  • Transplant Clinic and Services
  • Disorders for:
    • Neurology
    • Craniofacial
    • Diabetes
    • Gastrointestinal Disorders