Emotional Support
We know emotional support is critical to your child's comfort and making their hospital stay a positive experience. We offer several programs to provide emotional support to your child during their hospital stay.
Play volunteers
BC Children's Hospital is fortunate to have volunteers who provide a range of support to families and children across the campus.
Some volunteers are available to offer bedside play visits to children and to supervise play sessions in our hospital playrooms. Volunteers can supervise children to provide them with rest for short blocks of time.
To get support from a play volunteer, please speak to a member of your care team or a Child Life specialist.
If you want to become a volunteer, visit our Volunteer web page for further details.
Pet therapy
At BC Children's Hospital, we know the comfort pets can bring to children and families visiting our hospital, often during times of stress and anxiety. The Patient Experience team provides a volunteer-led pet therapy program with visits from dogs, cats and farm animals, including ponies and rabbits. Along with their human handlers, they are available to visit at the bedside or throughout the hospital.
Every pet and handler undergoes rigorous assessment and certification to ensure they are well-suited and safe to work in a hospital environment.
Please speak to a member of your child's care team to request a visit with a member of this team and their furry companion.
This service is available throughout the hospital. For additional program information, email the pet therapy program at pettherapy@cw.bc.ca.
Therapeutic clowns
A therapeutic clown is a professional entertainer trained in the specifics of working in a hospital setting. Our hospital has a dedicated team of therapeutic clowns who play music, sing and entertain patients and families across our hospital.
Please speak to a member of your child's care team to request a visit from our clowns.
This service is available throughout the hospital. To learn more, email the Patient Experience team at patientexperience@cw.bc.ca.
Child Life specialists
Child Life specialists support children, youth and families in coping with their health care journey, including hospitalization, tests, procedures and ongoing illness. They help with:
- Child- and teenager-friendly preparation and explanation for medical tests and procedures
- Play opportunities, to normalize the hospital environment
- Patient- and family-centred coping plans
- Therapeutic interventions during procedures and tests
- Working with the health-care team to promote a family-centred care approach
Learn more about the Child Life program.