Helping families through life’s most challenging events.
At Child Life On Call, we provide tools and resources to help you navigate the stress and uncertainty of a medical diagnosis or procedure.
Children don’t come with an instruction manual.
Even if you read all the books about what to expect when you’re, well, you know, none of them prepared you for what to do when your child needs medical attention.
That’s why we’re here.
At Child Life On Call, we provide resources to help you and your child cope with any illness, diagnosis, or medical procedure.
Resources like our parent starter kit.
When you download our starter kit, you’ll learn how to:
- Give medicine to your child without it becoming a wrestling match
- Prepare your child (and yourself) for a shot so they can feel less anxious
- Create and use a coping plan for any medical appointment or procedure
The first sign of sniffles, or worse, shouldn’t send you into a tailspin. Feel confident in your role as parent and advocate, no matter what medical situation you’re facing.
We’ll show you how.
You don’t have to figure this out on your own.
All of our resources are designed to support you, so you can better support your child.
Podcast
Connect to a community of parents who understand what you’re going through because they’ve been there too.
Print & Share
Access our free library of resources created by a child life specialist, so you can better advocate for your child.
Blog
Approach every medical situation with calm and confidence. Our blog gives you timely advice and assurance from experts.
Virtual Visits
Receive personalized care for you and your child when you schedule a 1:1 virtual session with a certified child life specialist.
Katie Taylor, CEO and Founder of Child Life On
Call and Certified Child Life Specialist.
Hi there! I’m Katie.
I’ve spent the last 12 years as a child life specialist, using my expertise in child development to help kids and families cope with the stress and uncertainty of illness, injury, and treatment. From using play to demonstrate procedures, to teaching coping strategies, to supporting parents and educating them on everything happening to their child, I know first hand how critical it is for children and families to have the support they need.
I’m also a mom. I know how fiercely we love our children, and how terrifying it is when they get sick. Even “routine procedures” like ear tubes or tonsillectomies don’t feel routine when it’s your little one on the table. And when there’s no one there to walk you through it or stand by your side? It’s paralyzing.
I created Child Life On Call as a way to support parents and kids during life’s most challenging events.
You deserve to feel confident, assured, and empowered to advocate for your child’s needs.
And with our tools and resources, now you can.
Partnering with facilities to bring you the Child Life On Call App
Putting tools and resources in the palm of your hand.
With the Child Life On Call app you’ll be able to:
Understand medical terms and procedures
Prepare your child (and yourself) for appointments and surgeries
Offer comfort and use age-appropriate coping strategies with your child
Feel empowered to ask questions and advocate for your child
Be seen, heard, and understood by your child’s care team
Feel less stressed and overwhelmed, and feel more certain making decisions for your child
Parents get this app for FREE through partner facilities.
Empowerment in your ears.
Listen to the latest Child Life On Call Podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Resources at your fingertips.
Explore 10 free downloads on a variety of child and health related topics.
Book and Resource List: Childhood Cancer
Therapeutic Activity: Feelings Uno!
Financial Assistance For Illness-Related Expenses
Book and Resource List: Autism
Book and Resource List: Type 1 Diabetes
Therapeutic Activity: Write A Letter
Therapeutic Activity: Bucket List
Procedure Support: Coping Plan
Book and Resource List: Cancer Siblings
Therapeutic Activity: Worry Boxes
Education and assurance from an expert.
Access trusted advice on timely topics from certified child life specialists.
When Your Baby is Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes: Marlee’s Story of Resilience and Advocacy
Estimated reading time: 13 minutes In this episode of Child Life On Call, we sit down with Marlee Brandon, a pediatric speech-language pathologist turned full-time type 1 diabetes mom advocate. Her son Bain was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at just 12 months old,...
U.S. News Children’s Hospital Rankings: Why the Best Outcomes Demand the Human Touch
When your child faces a serious health challenge, the search for the right hospital can feel overwhelming—a desperate blend of seeking a medical miracle and navigating profound fear. The moment you start searching, you need assurance that the facility will care for...
How Medical Play in Pediatrics Reduces Trauma and Builds Confidence in Kids
Medical experiences can be overwhelming for children and their families—but what if we could transform fear into curiosity? In this post, we’ll explore how medical play in pediatrics, a practice used by both child life specialists and pediatric nurses, empowers...
