Child Life Program
Unique care for children
Child Life Specialists help children and their families cope with a serious illness or a stay in the hospital. Child life specialists are experts in child development and psychology. We help a child feel safe and reduce stress while developing positive coping skills through play, psychological preparation, and self-expression.
Creative Arts Therapists consisting of music, art and dance/movement therapists explore and develop positive coping strategies to manage emotions, decrease anxiety and provide opportunities for choice and control. As well as assist with pain management.
Volunteers offer pet therapy, arts & crafts programming, visits from Santa, NY Giant Rookies, Disney Characters, Project Sunshine, HOP, Clowns, and a variety of seasonal activities that enhance a child’s hospital experience.
Child life and Creative Arts Therapy program provides:
- Medical play to alleviate fears and clarify misconceptions
- Explanation of a diagnosis, and preparation for tests and procedures in words children can understand
- Creative arts to encourage communication, empowerment, and promote healing
- Support for siblings
- Events and special visits for enjoyable hospital experience
- Palliative and bereavement support
- Comprehensive evaluation of a child’s developmental needs, to ensure children continue to meet their milestones during their stay and throughout their recovery
- Alternative focus and distraction to reduce pain and anxiety during painful or invasive procedures
- Therapeutic support through play, psychological preparation and self-expression
- Safe, child-friendly playrooms for children and their families
Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center
30 Prospect Ave, Hackensack, NJ 07601
ChildLifeHUMC@hmhn.org
551-996-5146
K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center
1944 Route 33, Neptune, NJ 07753
732-776-2541
Internships and practicums
The child life internship offered at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center and K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center provides a well-rounded program to gain crucial skills to become a successful child life professional. The child life program fosters each intern’s unique strengths and abilities, while helping them develop their clinical skills.
Child Life Internships are offered in the Spring, Summer and Fall/Winter Semesters.
Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital utilize the ACLP Internship Readiness Common Application that can be found on the ACLP website.
FOR Application or Questions for Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital: The application should be downloaded and emailed to childlifeinternship@hmhn.org. Please note: for our internship program, students must be affiliated with a college or university.
FOR Application or Questions for K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital: The application should be downloaded and emailed to childlifekhch@hmhn.org. Please note: at this time, all applications (for current students or graduated students) are currently being considered.
