If you've never had to bring a child to Dayton Children's you may have never heard of a very special job that you can only find at children's hospitals. This job is a child life specialist!

Our child life specialists focus on the emotional support and developmental needs of Dayton Children's patients and families. As part of a patient's healthcare team, child life specialists help a patient cope with illness, injury, treatment and procedures.

The child life staff uses play, preparation, education and self-expression activities to help children understand why they are receiving medical care. We appreciate these amazing individuals and what they do to make the hospital less scary for kids!