LONG BEACH, Calif. — Sensory tools are improving the emergency care experience for children at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, thanks to a grant from The Toy Foundation that launched a new pilot program in the hospital’s Emergency Department.
Awarded in March 2024, the grant supports the Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Program and provides resources for children with special sensory needs or those experiencing acute sensory overstimulation. The program includes a wide range of sensory toys and two mobile sensory stations designed to create calming environments that help reduce stress and anxiety during emergency visits.
More than 100 Emergency Department staff members have been trained to use the sensory tools, ensuring children can receive support during overnight hours or when Child Life specialists are not immediately available.
“This grant has enabled our Child Life team to dramatically increase the number of children in our Emergency Department who can have their sensory needs met,” said Rita Goshert, director of the Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Program. “It allowed us to create a formal sensory program and respond to a growing need in our community.”
Hospital leaders say the program’s success has already led to expansion into the outpatient surgery unit, with plans to bring it to additional departments. Parents and caregivers report the tools,including color-changing displays and fiberoptic lights, help ease children’s anxiety before medical procedures.
The initiative also responds to a rise in pediatric mental and behavioral health emergencies, a trend worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Child Life Specialist Frances Viste says the program has increased understanding and empathy among staff caring for neurodiverse children and those in behavioral health crises.
The Child Life team also uses toys and gifts to comfort patients and celebrate birthdays, treatment milestones, and holidays. Community members can support the program by donating toys and gifts through the hospital’s online patient wish list at millerchildrens.org/wishlist.