Child Life Program

The Child Life Program was developed to help make the hospital experience a more positive one for children of all ages. The award-winning Child Life Program at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach has provided nearly 35 years of patient and family centered care to patients, ages 0 to 21, offering developmental, educational and emotional support. Child Life Specialists plan individualized and group programs that help children adjust to their hospital stay and promote the continuity of normal, daily childhood activities.

Kids Need More than Medicine to Get Well

Dress-up time, blowing bubbles, visiting with brothers and sisters, playing with the family pet or just e-mailing a friend can help reduce the stress and anxiety associated with the hospital. Special events, such as the Toyota Grand Prix celebrity visit, helps brighten the spirits of patients. While we know our various patient and family centered programs help children cope, to your child, these activities are just plain old “fun.”

Miller Children’s Hospital Stands Apart

• Comprehensive, full-service, certified Child Life programs are unique to children’s hospitals.
• Child Life specialists help children cope with hospitalization in every area of the hospital, from the General Pediatrics to the Emergency Department and even in the centers and clinics where children receive follow-up care.
• One of the most important aspects of any Child Life Program is the use of medical play to help lessen anxieties and fears of children.
• The Child Life Program is proud to offer activity playrooms throughout all areas of the hospital, complete with visits from specially trained pet therapy dogs.
• Child Life recommends pre-admission tours to patients and their families if they know they are going to be hospitalized in advance to help lessen fears.
• The Music Rx® program offered at Miller Children’s is one of only two such programs in California children’s hospitals.