Child Life Program
At Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, our goal is to make your child feel comfortable and cared for during hospitalization. Our Child Life Program can help reduce the stress that pediatric patients and their families may experience when faced with illness, medical procedures, and unfamiliar surroundings.
Services
The Child Life Program offers an opportunity for children to engage in everyday childhood activities to help minimize anxiety. The program provides therapeutic, educational, and recreational activities to meet the unique emotional and developmental needs of children during their hospital stays.
The goals of Child Life Program services include:
- Minimizing overall stress and anxiety
- Providing normal play opportunities
- Enhancing normal living patterns and experiences within the hospital environment
- Promoting normal growth and development during hospitalization
- Lessening the emotional impact of illness and hospitalization
- Advocating and supporting the patient’s and family’s roles in the healthcare team
- Offering supervised play and activities
Since play is children’s “work” and their means of exploration, discovery and conflict resolution, it is the primary tool of the Child Life Program. Child Life staff will provide games, toys and activities at the patient’s bedside for those children who are isolated during hospitalization and unable to visit the playroom.
A major component of the Child Life Program is “medical play,” based on the premise that familiarizing children with hospital equipment and procedures reduces stress.
Facilitated by a Child Life Specialist, medical play and teaching sessions allow children to use real or toy medical equipment. For example, our Kitten Scanner turns CAT scans into child's play. Medical play can be individualized for patients experiencing increased stress associated with a certain treatment or who are undergoing particular procedures.
To enhance the activities regularly provided to patients and families, the Child Life Program organizes special events in collaboration with various community organizations and businesses.
In addition to weekly visits by magicians, music therapists and pet therapy dogs, the Pediatric Unit schedules holiday visitors, musicians, horticulture therapists, librarians, Stony Brook University athletes, visits from MagicAid, outside performers, and others to share a smile with patients and families.
Child Life Specialists and staff also make every effort to celebrate birthdays, holidays and other special events with the hospital's children.
Patients have access to activity areas designed specifically for children’s different needs. Medical procedures are not permitted in any of the activity areas, which are considered to be a child’s “safe haven” within the hospital.
The Main Playroom is available to patients of all ages and is equipped with many toys, games, arts and crafts materials, books, music and more. It is open daily at varying hours. A separate playroom is available for children on the second floor.
For children unable to attend activities in the Main Playroom, a separate playroom is also available. Children who are immunosuppressed can play safely in this smaller playroom and enjoy the same activities available in the Main Playroom.
Child Life Specialists and supervised volunteers also provide a variety of activities to patients, including age-appropriate toys and games, arts and crafts, movies and music in designated activity areas and at patient bedsides for children who are unable to visit the playroom.
The preadmission tour takes children on a multisensory journey through areas of the hospital that a child may encounter. Helping children to understand procedures and familiarizing them with the different areas and settings can significantly reduce anxiety.
On the tour, children can see and touch hospital equipment, meet medical staff, and experience the hospital environment in a safe, non-threatening manner. Appointments must be made in advance by calling Child Life Services at (631) 216-3636.
Invasive and sometimes painful procedures are an unfortunate reality of hospitalization. Child Life Specialists, however, can help reduce a child’s anxiety and perception of pain. They are trained to assess and prepare the children and introduce a variety of coping techniques, including guided imagery, relaxation, and diversion.
When possible, a Child Life Specialist may accompany a patient to the procedure, for example, in the radiology or emergency departments, preoperative areas or at Stony Brook Cancer Center. For more information or to schedule a pre-surgical tour, call (631) 216-3636.
Our Team
Second row, left to right: Laura Pantusco, Samantha Bellotti, Callie Barker, Joan Alpers, Sarah Schoepp, Madeline Mirenda
Certified Child Life Specialists
Certified Child Life Specialists are trained in child development and are equipped to deal with the effects of hospitalization on children. They are members of the interdisciplinary team who work to assess and address the individual needs of young patients and their families wherever children are served in the hospital.
Patient Resources
Stony Brook Children's Child Life Specialists: Helping Kids and Families Cope, Hope and Heal
Your Child’s Surgery: What Families Can Expect
Support Child Life Services
Child Life Services is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for patients and families during a hospital stay. Here are some ways you can give:
- Money. Your financial gift can be used to help families with children in the hospital to pay for parking and meals. For information on how to give a financial donation to our Child Life Program, call (631) 216-3636.
- Toys, crafts or supplies. New toys, crafts, games, sleepwear and supplies are always needed and much appreciated by our young patients. To make it as easy as possible for you to donate, visit our Amazon Wish List.
Learn More About Gifting to Child Life
Thanks so much for thinking of our hospitalized kids! Groups or individuals who would like to make donations can do one of the following:
- Donate gift cards (in $10 and $15 dollar amounts) to Target, Amazon or other stores that sell toys online.
- Take advantage of our Amazon Wish List to order either individual or group donations.
- Purchase gifts for children at the web store of your choice. Choose a gift you think a child (ages birth through 18) would love while hospitalized.
- Do your own fundraiser and donate the funds to the Child Life Program for the purchase of toys and playroom items. For information on how to then donate the funds, email joan.alpers@stonybrookmedicine.edu.
- Organize a toy drive in your local community and make an appointment to donate the toys to the Children’s Hospital lobby. Email joan.alpers@stonybrookmedicine.edu for available appointment times.
Please keep in mind, we are unable to accept plush, handmade or cloth items at this time. Send donated gift cards and new purchased gifts to:
Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, 101 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8504, Att: Joan Alpers, Child Life Services or make a donation appointment.
Hospitalized children often have special needs. Before donating, please contact Joan Alpers at joan.alpers@stonybrookmedicine.edu for assistance.
Why do children need toys in the hospital?
Hospitalization can be very stressful on children and their parents. Familiar toys and projects help comfort children by providing joy and distraction. Toys that reduce stress and engage attention in colorful, musical and soothing ways help children feel better and heal faster.
Can I bring my gently used toys?
Because some hospitalized children may have allergies or other sensitivities to toys that have already been played with, we cannot accept gently used toys. New toys (unwrapped for the first time in the hospital playroom or at a child’s bedside) ensure that all children will be safe and comforted.
Are there any other guidelines I should follow?
Toys made of strong, safe plastic are the safest and easiest to keep clean. Children who are stressed need calming and soothing toys. Please do not bring toys with violent themes or that shoot or launch missiles, cars or planes.
What about books?
Children love books and so do we. Just like toys, all books must be brand new. For infants and toddlers, board books (books with cardboard covers and pages) are always appreciated.
Should I wrap my gifts?
We prefer that you do not wrap gifts. That way we can see gifts and match the best gift to each child. If you wish, you can include gift bags in your donation. If you feel you must wrap your gifts, please use clear cellophane as used in gift baskets.
Where, how and when do I deliver my donation?
The Child Life staff is prepared to accept your donation of one or more gifts at the information desk in our Stony Brook Children's Hospital lobby. All donations are by appointment only. You will be asked to complete a Donor Log Form when you arrive. To make an appointment, email Joan Alpers at joan.alpers@stonybrookmedicine.edu. A Stony Brook Child Life Specialist or Volunteer will greet you in the Children's Hospital lobby to accept your donation.
May I hand my donation directly to the patients?
To preserve patient confidentiality and reduce the potential for infection exposure, donors are not allowed to visit pediatric units to deliver gifts directly to patients.
Can I make a monetary donation to the hospital?
Absolutely. If you would like to donate money, please contact Child Life Program at (631) 216-3636 or email Joan Alpers at joan.alpers@stonybrookmedicine.edu for information on how and where to send your donation.
What toys do you need most?
The Stony Brook Children’s Amazon Wish List provides examples of the toys that work best on a hospital unit across all age groups. Please purchase from this list or use as a guide when you plan your donation. Thanks so much for helping out hospitalized children!
