When a family is facing a terminal illness, the focus of care extends far beyond the patient. Children in the household, whether they are the ones receiving care or a sibling or family member watching a loved one go through it, need their own kind of support. That is where a Child Life Specialist comes in.
At ProCare Hospice of Nevada, Child Life Specialists are part of our care team. Their role is specific, meaningful, and often one of the most important forms of support a family can have during this time.
Table of Contents
- Who Is a Child Life Specialist?
- When Is a Child Life Specialist Involved in Hospice?
- How a Child Life Specialist Supports Children
- How a Child Life Specialist Supports Adults
- Play, Activities, and Creative Expression
- Legacy and End-of-Life Support
- Grief Support After a Loss
- Child Life Services at ProCare Hospice of Nevada
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is a Child Life Specialist?
A Certified Child Life Specialist is a trained professional who provides developmentally appropriate support for children and families going through challenging life experiences. They specialize in helping families cope with illness, hospitalization, death, and grief.
Their approach is hands-on and child-centered. Support is play-based and uses creative arts, bibliotherapy, and other expressive activities to help children process what they are experiencing in a way that makes sense for their age and stage of development.
Child Life Specialists are not therapists in the clinical sense, but they are trained specifically to work with children facing medical and end-of-life situations, and that specialization matters. What works for an adult navigating grief or illness does not always work for a child. A Child Life Specialist understands how to meet children where they are.
When Is a Child Life Specialist Involved in Hospice?
A Child Life Specialist can be involved in hospice care in two different situations.
When a Child Is the Patient
When a child has a terminal illness and is receiving hospice care, a Child Life Specialist becomes part of the care team. They work alongside nurses, physicians, social workers, and other team members to support the child’s emotional and developmental needs alongside their medical care.
At ProCare Hospice of Nevada, our CareOusel Pediatric Hospice program is built around the belief that the quality of a child’s life is not defined solely by their physical health, but by the opportunity to still be a kid. A Child Life Specialist helps make that possible.
When a Child Is in the Family
Child Life Specialists are also involved when a child is not the patient but is part of a family going through hospice. When a parent, grandparent, or sibling is nearing the end of life, children in the household need support too. They may not have the words or the emotional tools to process what is happening around them, and a Child Life Specialist helps bridge that gap.
How a Child Life Specialist Supports Children
The support a Child Life Specialist provides is tailored to the age and needs of each child. Some of what they do includes:
- Providing developmentally appropriate preparation and education about a child’s diagnosis, treatment, medical experiences, and how illness affects the body
- Helping children and young people learn and understand what they or their loved ones may experience
- Using play and expressive activities to help children develop healthy coping strategies and express their feelings
- Supporting children through worries, fears, separation from loved ones, and understanding changes happening around them
- Providing end-of-life support, creating a space for children to express their feelings and be included in the goodbye process
The goal is not to shelter children from what is happening, but to help them understand and move through it in a way that is appropriate for where they are developmentally.
How a Child Life Specialist Supports Adults
Child Life Specialists do not only work with children. They also provide guidance and support to the adults around them, including parents, grandparents, and other caregivers who are trying to support a child while also managing their own grief and stress.
This can include:
- Providing information on how to talk to children about illness and death
- Guidance on how to involve children in end-of-life decision-making in age-appropriate ways
- Support for adults who are having difficult conversations with children about what is happening
- Helping parents and caregivers understand what a child may be feeling, even when the child cannot express it directly
For many parents, knowing how to talk to their child about illness or death is one of the hardest parts of the experience. A Child Life Specialist helps take some of that uncertainty away.
Play, Activities, and Creative Expression
One of the most important things a Child Life Specialist does is create opportunities for children to simply be children, even in the middle of a difficult time.
This includes:
- Providing opportunities for patients and their siblings to engage in play and activities, regardless of their level of ability
- Supporting families in creating memories through childhood activities
- Connecting families with community activities and events they can participate in together
Play is not a distraction from what is happening. For children, it is one of the primary ways they process their experiences, build resilience, and find moments of joy. A Child Life Specialist understands this and creates space for it intentionally.
Legacy and End-of-Life Support
As a patient nears the end of life, a Child Life Specialist can help create something lasting for the family. Legacy work is an important part of what they do, and it can take many forms.
At ProCare Hospice of Nevada, this includes tangible legacy items that give children and families something meaningful to hold onto after a loss. It also includes sibling legacy programs designed to help children understand and cope with the loss of a brother or sister.
Being part of the end-of-life process, in an age-appropriate and supported way, can help children feel less excluded and more prepared. A Child Life Specialist helps make that possible without placing too much on a child’s shoulders.
Grief Support After a Loss
A Child Life Specialist’s involvement does not end when a patient passes. Follow-up grief support through bereavement sessions is available for children who are grieving.
Grief looks different in children than it does in adults. Children may not express sadness in the ways adults expect. They may seem fine one moment and distressed the next. They may not have the vocabulary to describe what they are feeling. Bereavement support from a Child Life Specialist is designed with those differences in mind.
At ProCare Hospice of Nevada, our bereavement program is available to all members of the community, even if their loved one was not part of our hospice service.
Child Life Services at ProCare Hospice of Nevada
At ProCare Hospice of Nevada, Child Life Specialists are part of our therapeutic services team. They work alongside music therapists, massage therapists, and other members of the care team to provide holistic, hands-on support for patients and families.
Whether the child in the family is the patient or a sibling navigating the loss of a loved one, our Child Life Specialists are here to provide the kind of support that meets children where they are and helps families stay connected through one of the hardest seasons they will ever face.
If you would like to learn more about Child Life Services or any of our other therapeutic services, we are here to help. Reach us at 702.380.8300 or reach out to our website here.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a Certified Child Life Specialist?
A Certified Child Life Specialist is a trained professional who provides developmentally appropriate support for children and families facing challenging life experiences, including illness, hospitalization, death, and grief. Their approach is play-based and uses creative arts and expressive activities to help children process difficult experiences in ways that match their age and development.
2. Does my child need to be a hospice patient to receive Child Life support?
No. Child Life support is available for children who are patients as well as children who are part of a family going through hospice. If a parent, grandparent, or sibling is receiving hospice care, a Child Life Specialist can provide support to the children in the household as well.
3. What kinds of activities does a Child Life Specialist use?
Child Life Specialists use play, creative arts, bibliotherapy, and other expressive activities tailored to each child’s age and developmental stage. They also support legacy creation, help children participate in end-of-life processes in age-appropriate ways, and connect families with community activities and events.
4. How do I find out if Child Life Services are available for my family?You can call ProCare Hospice of Nevada at (702) 380-8300 or reach out through our website to speak with someone about Child Life Services and whether they may be a good fit for your family’s situation.
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