Web links: child life programs

So what does Child Life Services offer? It varies from every children's hospital, from every child life specialist, and every child. Not every place will have a pet therapy option, or a special mini-MRI for a young patient's doll to go through the procedure before she does. Here's a selection of the best programs that the best hospitals offer. Most hospitals offer many-or all-of these programs, but there's too much good work done to list it all. This is just a sample.

Clown Care: http://www.childrenshospital.org/patientsfamilies/Site1393/mainpageS1393P4sublevel61.html
A Children's Hospital Boston (CHB) program that brings "Clown Care doctors" via the Big Apple Circus to CHB every week.

Hello Hospital: http://www.choc.org/patients&family/hellohospital.cfm/
A program at Orange's Children's Hospital of California (CHOC) to give children and families an introduction to CHOC.

Children's Hospital of St. Louis's Camp Heart: http://www.stlouischildrens.org/tabid/191/itemid/3851/Camp-Rhythm.aspx/
The Missouri hospital offers a five-day, four-night sleepaway camp during the summer for children with heart conditions.

Children's Hospital Oakland's Teen Lounge: http://www.childrenshospitaloakland.org/child_life/life_playroom.asp/
This California hospital offers video games, foosball, DVDs, and lots more for teens who are too old for Candy Land.

CHOP's Hospital School: http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=82118/
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offers teachers to help students with long stays keep up with classwork.

CHW's support for the whole family: http://www.chw.org/display/PPF/DocID/20723/Nav/1/router.asp/
Children's Hospital Wisconsin in Milwaukee offers helpful program for siblings of kids in hospital, who might be more worried than the patient.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital's Family Advisory Council: http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/about/fcc/family/default.htm
The Ohio hospital works with families to have empowered decisions regarding medical care.