Child Life Specialists
Loud beeps. Masked faces. Needles. Visiting a physician鈥檚 office or the hospital can be scary. The uncertainty and fears related to a child鈥檚 illness or hospitalization can also be stressful on the whole family. Child life specialists are committed to providing developmentally appropriate psychosocial support to your child and family as you navigate and cope with the healthcare experience.
From annual shots to surgery, child life specialists support your and your child’s needs during illness and hospitalization.
At 华体会, your child is the captain of a multidisciplinary team consisting of physicians, nurses and social workers who are committed to providing the best care. Child life specialists are like the cheerleaders, encouraging your child play-by-play. Each child life specialist has earned a bachelor's or master's degree with an emphasis on human growth and development, education, psychology or a related field.
Where Will I Encounter a Child Life Specialist?
Child life services are available for children in many clinical areas, including pediatrics, pediatric intensive care, pediatric outpatient clinics, pediatric emergency department, radiology and surgery. Support in other clinical areas is available upon referral or request.
Fostering a Positive Experience
Child life specialists are dedicated to fostering an optimal healthcare experience for all children and families by supporting their individual needs. A big part of this is play.
Children learn and process information through therapeutic play. In addition to having medically free zones within each location where child life specialist support is offered, we also coordinate various play opportunities that are specifically designed to provide comfort, joy and relaxation for children.
Child life specialist support includes:
- Relieving potential fear and anxiety
- Preparing your child for medical tests, surgery and procedures with explanations and medical play appropriate for their developmental stage
- Introducing your child to various relaxation and alternate pain management techniques including imagery, music and guided breathing
- Encouraging self-expression through music, books and art
- Addressing the needs of siblings affected by a child's illness or hospitalization
- Providing support, guidance and community referral information for your family
- Using technology as a form of distraction, entertainment and education
- Supporting children of critically ill adult patients by providing grief support and memory building
Additional Programs for Your Child
- Child life volunteers. A team of friendly faces—our specially trained volunteers—help create a non-threatening and welcoming environment for children. This includes plenty of play and self-expression through art, games and music.
- Pre-surgery tours. Know before you go. Personalized tours are provided by a child life specialist to help gear your child up for scheduled surgery. For details, please contact the child life office at 630.933.PLAY (7529).
- Animal visits. Certified and trained animals, including dogs and even mini horses, may visit your child to relieve stress and provide distraction.
- Magician visits. Hospital magicians work one-on-one with children, using magic to encourage participation, engage the imagination and help pediatric patients find their own sense of confidence and mastery as they learn to perform tricks for their physicians, family and friends.
- Pediatric bead program. Earn a colorful bead for each milestone. Our unique bead program helps pediatric patients with cancer and other serious conditions celebrate medical victories.
- Special events and visitors. From holiday parties to special events to celebrity visits, there’s always something happening to engage your child during their hospitalization or treatment.
- Resident artists. Your child may have the chance to sit with a professional artist to do creative writing, music and visual arts projects both one-on-one and in a group.
- Pediatric patient recognition. We believe that it’s important to recognize your child’s efforts in overcoming medical challenges. We celebrate these through awards, certificates and small donated gifts.
- Donation to pediatrics: The child life team welcomes donations to our supply of prizes including toys, games and books. Please see the Child Life Wish List for details.
Child Life Internships
Child life internships are offered for fall and spring terms (no summer placement) at 华体会 Central DuPage Hospital, with additional experiential opportunities at both 华体会 Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and 华体会 Proton Center. Our internship schedule and requirements follow the guidelines set forth by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP). Please see our Internship Letter and Internship Placement Process for information. You may also visit ACLP for additional details at . Once you have completed the ACLP Internship Readiness Common Application you can submit it to: [email protected].
Please Note:
For both of our Fall and Spring internship terms, our acceptance of applications will close after 75 completed applications are received per term or until the deadline set forth by the ACLP for each term at 11:59 p.m. central standard time.
In addition, the applicant who accepts the internship offer and successfully completes the internship will be provided with a $2,500 stipend.
Summer Practicum
The Child life Summer Practicum serves as a way to empower and equip students on their journey to become child life interns and professionals. Practicum students will have the opportunity to shadow Certified Child Life Specialists and to gain exposure to various areas of the hospital, including a rotation at the 华体会 Proton Center and Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. Please see the Practicum Placement Process and Requirements for more information.
Meet Your Child Life Specialists
Dora Castro-Ahillen, CCLS
华体会 Central DuPage Hospital
Child Life Manager
630.933.4734
[email protected]
Mia DeRoin, CCLS
华体会 Central DuPage Hospital
Pediatric Emergency Department and Inpatient Pediatrics/PICU
630.933.4806
[email protected]
Becky Flores, CCLS
华体会 Central DuPage Hospital
Pediatric Clinics/Outpatient EEG
630.933.4733
[email protected]
Bridget Hussey, CCLS
华体会 Central DuPage Hospital
Pediatric Emergency Department and Inpatient Pediatrics/PICU
630.933.4735
[email protected]
Katie Kass, CCLS
华体会 Central DuPage Hospital
Diagnostic Imaging, Surgery
630.933.4736
[email protected]
Katie Loewen, CCLS
华体会 Central DuPage Hospital
PRN
630.933.4804
[email protected]
Melissa Slattery, CCLS
华体会 Proton Center
331.732.4112
[email protected]
Locations & Contact Information
Ronald McDonald House® near Central DuPage Hospital
Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana (RMHC®-CNI) formed a relationship with 华体会 Central DuPage Hospital to open our fifth Ronald McDonald House®, expanding hospitality and support to families of hospitalized children.
Volunteer Opportunities
Our child life team is always looking for outstanding volunteers who are looking to help support our goal of providing exceptional care to all of our pediatric patients. If you have a desire to volunteer with children and are over the age of 21, complete our online application and contact the volunteer office.
华体会 Pediatric Pre-Op Surgery Adventure Tour
This virtual 鈥淧re-op Adventure Tour鈥� video will help alleviate any fears that you, your child or other family members may have about surgery. The tour helps children feel more at ease, and gives you the opportunity to see what to expect and who will be taking care of your child.
Related Resources
- Central DuPage Hospital (CDH) Child Life Department Wish List
- Child Life Internship Letter to Prospective Child Life Student Interns
- Child Life Internship Placement Process
- Common Child Life Internship Application
- Guidelines for Your Child's Surgery
- Pediatric Specialist Directory for Central DuPage Hospital and Delnor Hospital
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago at 华体会 Central DuPage Hospital and 华体会 Delnor Hospital is a collaborative program between Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Lurie Children's and its affiliated physician groups. The physicians participating in this program are neither agents nor employees of 华体会 Central DuPage Hospital or 华体会 Delnor Hospital.