Celebrating Child Life Month

Child Life Month is celebrated in March to recognize child life specialists and their important role in children’s lives. 

The Child Life Department at Seattle Children’s helps make your family’s experience at the hospital a positive one. Child Life specialists are members of your child’s healthcare team. They work directly with you and your child to help you relieve tension, express concerns and fears, and feel more in control about your hospital experience.

Child Life Specialists…

• Explain a diagnosis or treatment in words your child or teen can understand.
• Create a coping plan your child can use during a medical test or procedure.
• Offer support during and after a medical test or procedure.
• Use play to help your child understand medical procedures and express feelings.
• Work with medical staff to assess your child’s unique needs.
• Give you information about child development and the effects of healthcare.
• Teach techniques to help your child cope and relax.
• Offer support to help families cope with death or loss in partnership with the Journey Program.

Child Life specialists like Yifan Wang are specially trained to support the emotional, social and developmental needs of children during their visits to the hospital. Through play and education, Wang helps kids understand what to expect to maximize coping and minimize stress during procedures.

Wang says medical play is one of the most fun parts of being a Child Life specialist. Through role playing and storytelling with toys, and often real medical supplies, Wang helps patients gain a sense of control by creating an opportunity for children to ask questions and express feelings.

Read here to see how Wang helped one family receiving care at Seattle Children’s, then get tips to help your child or teen prepare for a medical procedure, from a needle poke to a surgery.

Thank you to the entire Child Life department, for all you do for kids and families at Seattle Children’s!