Providing Child Life Specialists Crucial Resources to Deliver Happiness

Child Life Specialist Month in March is a time to celebrate the unsung heroes of pediatric care. These specialists play a unique and vital role in helping ease the emotional and psychological toll of hospitalization on sick children and their families. Starlight’s programs support the work of child life specialists and health care professionals at 800+ hospitals across the country. 

Why Child Life Specialists Are Important 

When a child is hospitalized, their world changes in an instant. Even in the best possible care, the experience can be overwhelming – filled with needle pricks, isolation, and a daunting environment. As child development experts trained to understand and address the unique needs of young patients, child life specialists help improve kids’ emotional well-being and help them feel more comfortable and supported during their hospital stays. Here are a few ways that child life specialists can do this: 

1. Role play - Using dolls and toys, child life specialists role-play with children to help prepare them for medical treatments and procedures.  

2. A sense of normalcy - To promote a sense of everyday life, they offer patients the power of play and entertainment activities and celebrate milestones and holidays.  

3. Emotional and coping support - When patients are experiencing more severe discomfort and challenges, these specialists provide emotional and coping support, such as deep breathing and distraction techniques. 

4. Bridge between families and healthcare providers - Child life specialists also act as a bridge between children, families and healthcare providers, offering sibling support and advocating for child-friendly care.  

Overall, the child life specialist’s critical role can improve a patient’s well-being by reducing anxiety, distress and sometimes the need for sedation.  

In 2024, Starlight’s donor-funded programs positively impacted more than 3 million children, half of the estimated number of hospitalized children in the U.S. 46% of its programs went to facilities serving MUVPs. These programs include: 

• Starlight Gaming Stations, powered by Nintendo, provides decision-making and problem-solving opportunities to empower kids in an environment where they may not have many choices, while improving their mood. 

• Starlight Hospital Gowns are whimsical and fun. Designed to offer more privacy and more comfort, kids prefer Starlight Gowns over traditional gowns, as they promote a more positive experience. 

• Starlight Toy Deliveries provide relief through therapeutic play, helping kids express their emotions or calm anxiety to help them feel secure.    

• Starlight Hero Wagons, designed for Starlight by Radio Flyer, allow kids to go on joy-rides as they explore the hospital environment, giving them and their families a much-needed break. 

• Starlight Families program offers family support, bridging the gap between a child’s hospital journey and their at-home recovery. 

While Starlight has helped lighten the load of child life teams by delivering millions of play experiences, gowns, toys and games, more support is critically needed.