Child Life Specialist

Unique to adult hospitals, our Palliative Care Child Life Program serves children (ages 0-18 years) of adult patients facing serious, life-limiting conditions. These psychosocial services are free to families and fully funded through generous philanthropic support from our community. Last year, this program saw a 25% increase in the number of child life visits facilitated in Fort Worth. Our two child life specialists conducted 593 visits with 187 families and 237 children.

About Child Life

Children have fears and questions that may go unspoken when their loved one is experiencing a serious medical condition. Their most common concerns are often; Can I catch it? Did I cause it? Who will take care of me? Our highly-trained and expertly-skilled palliative care child life specialists provide guidance to adults so they feel more confident addressing these concerns with their children.

Each year, more than two million U.S. children under the age of 18, experience the death of a parent. Those deaths often occur following a serious illness. Research shows that a parent's serious illness or death can dramatically impact children, increasing their risk for substance abuse, criminal activity, dropping out of school, and depression. Interventions facilitated by child life specialists can help mitigate those risks and provide a safe place for children to ask questions they may struggle to bring up to their families.

Services Provided

At Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth, our Child Life Specialist supports with services which include:

• Helping adults explain the serious medical condition to children at their developmental level
• Educating adults to increase their understanding, while planning for and responding to children’s unique reactions to grief and loss
• Meeting directly with children to assess their understanding, identify and manage their feelings, and address their concerns about their loved one’s serious medical condition
• Teaching children about what to expect for hospital visits, a new or ongoing serious medical condition and changes in their loved one’s abilities and appearance
• Supporting children and adults with end-of-life issues, including impending death, and traumatic events
• Assisting with memory-making activities for unexpected or expected death, and preparing children for funerals

Our two child life specialists are fully funded through philanthropic support from our community. 

For more information on supporting Child Life, contact:

Cristie King, Manager of Major Gifts
Cristie.King@BSWHealth.org
817-922-7714