Child life services
Hospitals can be a scary place for kids. Our child life specialists provide your child guidance, comfort and reassurance concerning their hospital stay. We are proud to offer autism and sensory-friendly services for children who need special care.
A hospital can be a scary place for a child. That’s why TriStar Centennial Children’s Hospital is proud to offer Child Life Services. Our Child Life Specialist is a child development expert who works to help comfort children and their families during hospitalization.
When your child needs medical or surgical care, we're here for you. A child life specialist will guide your child through the process of being in the hospital and help them understand what is happening and why.
Child Life Specialists provide coverage in the Pediatric Medical/Surgical Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Pediatric Emergency Department, and also before, during, and after surgery and other procedures.
Autism and sensory friendly program
TriStar Centennial Children’s Hospital is proud to offer autism and sensory friendly services in the Emergency Department. Our sensory-friendly rooms in the emergency room feature adjustable lights and nurses can control the sound levels on monitors to minimize noise. There are also sensory friendly toys and storyboards with visual cues to ease communication between the child, parents and care teams. All of our ER physicians, nurses and staff have been trained in Autism Spectrum Disorder and are sensitive to environmental and communication concerns. When you arrive at the ER, please notify the receptionists that you would like to fill out a questionnaire that will help us identify ways we can best care for your family.
Autism and sensory friendly services are also available in all pediatric areas to help ease anxiety before, during and after surgeries and procedures. Just ask for Child Life.
Surgery/Procedure Preparation
At TriStar Centennial Children’s Hospital, we want kids and their parents to feel prepared for any surgeries and procedures that may be planned. Our Child Life Specialists offer the following resources prior to surgery:
- Social Story Preparation Book
- Preparation Video
- Preparation with a CCLS once checked in
- Coping plan assessment for parents to complete prior to appointment.
Our team will also be there on the day of surgery to help communicate to your child on a developmentally appropriate level and provide distraction techniques. They will walk you through the process and provide different coping mechanisms such as communication boards, visual schedules and distraction toys.
For any questions, please contact a member of our Child Life team.
Sydnie Epstein, MS, CCLS full-time
O: (615) 345-3289
M: (629) 212-1444
Morgan Daily, Med, CCLS full-time
O: (615) 342-3289
M: (629) 212-5547
Kayla Geistman, MS, CCLS, full-time
O: (615) 342-3289
M: (629) 212-2796
Donation guidelines
We are grateful for all the donations we receive. However, we are often asked what items are more frequently used by our patients. Below is a suggested list of accepted donations items used daily.
If you have any questions about a donation or are looking to set up a time to donate please contact our certified child life specialist, Sydnie.
For all other donation questions or inquiries, please use the form below and a Child Life Specialist will get back to you as soon as possible.
For any other questions please click on the link below to fill out our ask Child Life form and a Child Life Specialist will get back to you as soon as possible.