Winthrop’s Child Life Program is
committed to addressing the unique
emotional, social and physical needs of
all childhood patients – from infants to
young adults – with the support of a
dedicated team of Certified Child Life
Specialists (CCLS). A recent grant from
the Starlight Children’s Foundation of
NY*NJ*CT, whose Pediatric Hospital
Support Program has benefited the
Child Life Program at Winthrop for
more than a decade with approximately
$200,000 in grants, has enabled the
Hospital to launch the new “See the
Stars Come Out at Night” program –
geared toward adolescent and teenaged
patients to help them cope with the
hospital experience.
Under the supervision of a CCLS,
the “See the Stars Come Out at Night”
program addresses the unique social
and emotional needs of older hospitalized
children through organized evening
activities such as music, games and
arts that foster creativity, team-building
and friendly competition among peers
in the Activity Center of the Hospital’s
Hagedorn Pediatric Inpatient Center.
The program operates “after hours” in
the evening when the younger patients
have returned to their rooms, so that
the older pediatric patients have an
opportunity to express their feelings,
address any fears and share coping
strategies in a relaxed atmosphere.
“It has always been our goal as
Child Life Specialists to normalize the
hospital stay for all of our patients. As
such, we wanted to create a program
where older patients could socialize
and have a comfortable atmosphere
where they could simulate activities
that they would participate in outside
of the hospital,” said Nicole Almeida,
MS, CCLS, Director of the Child Life
Program at Winthrop. “Thanks to the
generous support of the Starlight
Children’s Foundation, we have been
able to launch such a program.”
For 25 years, Starlight Children’s
Foundation has been dedicated to helping
seriously ill children and their
families cope with their pain, fear and
isolation through entertainment, education
and family activities. The Foundation
has been an avid supporter of Winthrop’s
Child Life Program, providing vital funds
to meet the staffing needs of the program
and donating items such as
entertainment centers equipped with
flat-panel televisions, DVD players and
Nintendo Wii Systems to provide hours
of interactive play for patients.
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Vol. 19, No. 2
Summer 2009
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