Every child deserves emotionally safe care
The Emotional Safety Initiative promotes resiliency, healing, and trust for pediatric patients and their families during all medical experiences. For too long, hospitals and medical institutions have prioritized physical health over mental or emotional needs, leading to potentially traumatic long-term effects. By incorporating evidence-based methods, open and age-appropriate communication with patients and families, comforting environments, and individualized intervention plans into all areas of pediatric care, we can minimize stress and foster a healthier lifelong relationship to the medical setting.
While emotional safety is the responsibility of everyone in a hospital—from the front desk staff to janitorial teams to doctors and nurses—this work is headquartered in the child life office. Their training in providing psychosocial support for children and families makes child life specialists uniquely qualified to drive these initiatives.
Recent articles
- Emotional Safety in Pediatrics: Executive Summary
Read highlights from our Emotional Safety in Pediatrics paper, which makes the case for the widespread adoption of new standards in pediatric care. - Sign Our Letter of SupportVoice your support for emotional safety with a note to your local hospital.
- Tips for donating to your local child life programMany child life programs rely on community donations and support to create an emotionally safe healthcare environment for children and families.
- Volunteer with your local child life programVolunteers transform hospitals to emotionally safe spaces. Learn more about volunteering.
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Nothing can prepare you for the moment you hear your child has a life-threatening illness. But receiving emotionally safe care from a child life specialist and other pediatric teams can make all the difference for you and your child. Hear how the power of emotional safety can resonate throughout the hospital experience and beyond.