For sick and injured kids in hospital, video games can be a welcome distraction from discomfort and boredom, but they are also a powerful tool in therapy, giving kids control, taking them into the world of their imagination and helping them through treatment and anxiety.  

In 2023, SCHF partnered with Childs Play Charity to reimagine the experience of sick kids in hospital and thanks to their funding, in an Australian-first, two Child Life Therapist Technology Specialists were employed for three years across The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. Their roles are to use technology as a tool in Child Life Therapy, working with kids to prepare them for the unfamiliar and for treatments they may find scary.  

Teniele and Lauren have been in their respective roles for almost a year, and their work has already had a significant impact. Teneile who works at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead says, ‘Gaming offers so much more than meets the eye! It can foster connectedness, collaboration, problem-solving, distraction and gives patients back some choices and control which they may at times feel they have lost.’’ 

Lauren who is Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick’s equivalent adds, “Bringing technology into the realm of Child Life therapy is the next logical step and reflects the role it plays in the ever-changing play context for children and young people.”  

Thanks to Childs Play Charity the initial part of this program has been funded. It is our hope to engage additional support for this innovative program through the generosity of our Movement of Many to ensure that sick kids can enjoy its benefits for years to come.

If you would like to learn more about this innovative program, contact us at t&f@schf.org.au.