Child Family Life Services

Our Approach

At Fairview Ridges Hospital, Child Family Life Specialists work with patients and families to provide developmentally appropriate teaching opportunities to reduce fears and maximize coping before, during, and after medical experiences.

Child Family Life Specialists help children and teens learn what is happening to their body and allow them to express their feelings around their illness or injury. Such interventions include:

• Preparation and support for medical procedures
• Education surrounding a new or existing diagnosis
• Teaching and identifying coping strategies
• Giving kids a sense of control and exploration through medical play and other therapeutic interventions
• Encouraging normal growth and development for hospitalized children and teens through developmentally appropriate play opportunities/experiences 

Child Family Life Specialists provide support to families by:

• Assisting parents in learning how to support their child in the medical environment and during procedures
• Helping parents understand their child’s behavior in the medical setting
• Advocating for patient and family centered care
• Preparing siblings prior to visiting their brother/sister in the hospital. Preparation may include the different things they will see and hear in their brother/sister’s room, any physical changes they may see in their brother/sister, ways they can interact/play with their brother/sister, and time to ask questions and express their feelings.
• Helping explain complex medical issues to children of adult patients. 

If you have further questions about the Child Family Life Department or how you can better prepare for your child’s healthcare experience at Fairview Ridges Hospital, please contact us at: 

952-892-2256 or check out our app! 

Pre-Surgery Tours

You and your family are invited to tour the children’s surgical area at Fairview Ridges Hospital in preparation for your child’s upcoming procedure.

Research has shown that preparing children prior to a medical procedure helps reduce fears, answers questions, and helps children feel confident in their upcoming medical experience.

You and your child will be given the opportunity to participate in medical play with stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, hospital scrubs and anesthesia masks. There will be a walking tour of the Surgical Center and time to ask questions to help ease your child’s fears.

Call the Child Family Life Department for more information: 952-892-2256.

Child Family Life Practicum

This practicum is intended to provide an observational opportunity to individuals interested in the child life profession. This practicum offers a minimum of 120 hours of supervision designed to prepare the participant for an internship experience in child life. The participant will have opportunities to observe child life interactions in the Pediatric unit, radiology, surgery, adult units, and the emergency department. We hope to enhance the understanding of child development and effects the hospital experience can have on children as well as the value of preparation and play. The participant will gain a better understanding of the role of a child life specialist in a healthcare team. Opportunities to observe medical play, preparation and procedural support will be provided by various child life staff at Fairview Ridges Hospital. If interested please complete our application.