Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA Research and Education: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLAPatient Care: UCLA Health System
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Child Life / Child Development Program

Click to download our brochure (PDF)Child Life/Child Development Services

Hospitals can be a confusing and frightening environment for a child. Child Life/Child Development Services seeks to ease that fear by familiarizing young children, adolescents and their families with the hospital experience. For nearly four decades, Child Life/Child Development Services has been a pioneer and a national model for how to appropriately address the social, emotional and developmental needs of each child and his/her family in a culturally sensitive manner.

Child Life Specialists

A Child Life Specialist is available to consult with children admitted to UCLA. These professionals are an essential part of the healthcare team, and work with pediatric patients to help them cope with their illness and hospitalization. They provide accurate and age-appropriate information to the patient and parents, identify potential sources of stress, and plan and practice coping strategies. Child Life Specialists also provide valuable information about developmental and psychosocial issues to the child's medical team.

Caring for Families

Separated from the home and other familiar support structures, and facing the unknown of medical procedures and medications, it is natural for a child to become anxious. Child Life Specialists help parents and siblings to understand the child's response and provide them with opportunities and strategies to continue their role as caregivers.

Child Life/Child Development Services provides educational and training opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers that support the social and emotional development of medically fragile children.

Support Child Life/Child Development

Donate online to Child Life/Child Development Services at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA

  Our Wish List: Suggestions of items that we frequently need for our patients and famililes. 

Take a Tour


Take a photo tour of our
operating room

Take a video tour of the new
Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA
 

Take a virtual tour
 
operating room photo tour Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA Video Tour Take a virtual tour of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (includes Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA)

Contact Us

Child Life / Child Development Services
757 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA  90095
(310) 267-9440

 

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