Parent Grief Support Group
This group offers a compassionate place for parents and family members to connect, share experiences and find support after the loss of a child under age 18.
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Pediatric Supportive Care
When your child is facing a serious or life-limiting condition, you need care that goes beyond just medicine. The pediatric supportive care team at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois walks beside your whole family, helping manage your child’s symptoms, nurture their emotional well-being and bring comfort to you every step of the way.
What is supportive care?
Pediatric supportive care is specialized treatment that improves quality of life for children with serious illnesses and their families. It can help manage symptoms, ease stress and support emotional and spiritual needs alongside your child’s regular medical treatment. Our goal is comfort, understanding and support for the whole family.
Pediatric Supportive Care Team
Our pediatric supportive care team includes licensed social workers, licensed counselors and other mental health professionals. These experts specialize in helping kids and families cope with illness and the challenges of being in the hospital. They also provide support for families experiencing loss.
Supportive Care for a Variety of Conditions
Your child may be referred to pediatric supportive services if they are facing a serious, long-term or life-limiting condition. Whether your child is staying in the hospital or coming for outpatient visits, our team is committed to supporting your family in meaningful ways.
Some of the situations we commonly support families through include:
- Complex genetic conditions
- Critical injuries after accidents
- Long-term critical illnesses
- Pregnancy or infant loss
- Serious neurological disorders
- Single ventricle heart conditions
- Sudden, critical illness
Counseling Support Services
Our counseling staff is here to help children and families build coping skills and manage the emotional impact of illness.
We offer:
- Access to support groups and ongoing follow-up care
- Bereavement counseling after the loss of a child
- Counseling for children, teens and parents, offered in the hospital, outpatient or by phone
- Guidance for adjusting to new diagnoses or hospital stays
- Help with communication and decision making
- Support for siblings, grandparents and extended family
This supportive health care is available for as long as your family needs it at no cost to you.
Pediatric Palliative Care
The pediatric supportive care team works closely with our pediatric palliative care team. While supportive care supports your child emotionally, pediatric palliative care provides medical guidance to help manage symptoms including pain, nausea and other concerns related to chronic or life-limiting illnesses.
Collaboration with Multiple Specialties
Your child’s care is at its best when all parts of their treatment work together. Our pediatric supportive care team works closely with the other members of your child’s care team to ensure coordinated, seamless support.
We work with all pediatric inpatient care teams, as well as a variety of other specialties and services, including:
- Child life
- Genetics
- Maternal-fetal medicine
- Music therapy
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
- Pastoral care
- Pediatric school program
Support Groups for Parents and Families
Grief and stress can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, you don’t have to face them alone. Our pediatric supportive care counseling program offers several groups that bring parents and families together for community, comfort and healing during tough times.
Ask About Supportive Care for Your Child
If your child is living with a serious illness or complex medical condition, ask your doctor, nurse, case manager or social worker about pediatric supportive care. You don’t need a formal referral to start the process. Your care team can connect you directly with our pediatric supportive services team.
