NAN’s Child Life Specialist (CLS) is trained to help children and families navigate life-changing, emotionally demanding events like a mother’s cancer illness. Our CLS will meet with the parent or guardian to establish a baseline of the child’s understanding of their mother’s cancer. She will create customized programming for the children in your care, will read your post-visit reports and will help you navigate challenges along the way. Our CLS will also be available to:
- Support you as you help children manage their emotions, develop coping strategies and build emotional resilience.
- Help answer children’s questions and clarify misconceptions.
- Identify developmentally-appropriate language to help explain cancer.
- Provide tools and activities that build on children’s interests and skills, and help them understand and cope with their mom’s cancer.
- Guide you as you support a family through emotional upheaval, grief and bereavement.
