Being in a hospital or clinic and surrounded by unfamiliar people can be stressful for a child. The Child Life and Family Development program at Nebraska Medicine helps children and their families understand the health care environment through a family-centered approach. We provide developmentally appropriate ways to cope with the experience.

Who we are 

Our Child and Family Development Team consists of: 

  • Five child life specialists 
  • A music therapist 
  • An early development specialist 
  • A hospital teacher

We are all highly skilled in the developmental, education and psychosocial aspects of caring for children of all ages in a medical setting. Learn more about our team.  

Austin Roberts missed the chance to take his girlfriend, Hannah Carlyle, to prom. So our Child and Family Development team put together a party complete with a decorations, a dance floor, corsages, a photo booth and snacks—including Austin’s favorite: Cosmic Brownies!
Austin Roberts missed the chance to take his girlfriend, Hannah Carlyle, to prom. So our Child Life and Family Development team put together a party complete with a decorations, a dance floor, corsages, a photo booth and snacks—including Austin’s favorite: Cosmic Brownies! The couple even got crowned Prom Queen and King.

  • Meet our Child Life and Family Development team

    Learn more about our experts.

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  • Child Life and Family Development programs

    Our programs are meant to normalize the hospital environment and provide personalized support to meet each family’s needs.

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  • Music therapy

    Music therapy services are customized to each child's preferences, abilities and needs to protect their overall wellbeing during and long after hospitalization.

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  • Child Life program

    The Child Life program was created to help children and their families understand the health care environment and develop age-appropriate ways to cope with the experience.

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  • Education support options

    We offer an early learning program to support development in children aged birth through school age, and a school-age program, so children can continue learning like they would in school during a hospital stay.

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  • Child Life and Family Development student opportunities

    Learn more about the opportunities we offer for aspiring child life and music therapy students.

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  • Pediatric transplant patient information

    Frequently asked questions for pediatric transplant patients and their parents.

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Have questions? We're here to help.

Contact us to make an appointment

402.559.6775