Child Life Services
MaineHealth is committed to providing outstanding care to our young patients. Our child life specialists at The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital help young patients cope with the stress and confusion of illness, injury and hospitalization.
What are child life specialists?
The child life specialists at The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital are passionate about the health and wellbeing of children. They help children prepare emotionally and psychologically for medical procedures, provide support during procedures, and help youngsters cope with medical experiences. All of our child life specialists hold certifications in Child Life, meaning they have advanced training in this highly specialized field. In addition, our child life specialists are college graduates who hold a bachelor's degree or masters degree.
Child life specialists are part of a patient's healthcare team
The child life specialists at The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital partner with families and healthcare providers to help children cope with their experiences having a medical procedure or hospital stay. They can help relieve the stress and anxiety for children by:
- Helping them prepare for a medical procedure, so that it does not feel like a scary experience
- Support and distract youngsters during a medical procedure
- Assist with coping strategies that help young patients as they recover and prepare to go home.
Play is an important activity for children
Play allows children to process stressful events and also provides relief for them. At The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, our child life specialists give youngsters the opportunity for developmentally appropriate play activities that allow them to express themselves. To children, these opportunities are fun and games that can serve as a distraction and help to ease their anxiety.