Child life specialists work to enhance patients’ emotional, social, and cognitive growth during a hospital visit, taking into consideration each child’s family, culture, and developmental needs. They use developmental interventions and play to help patients and families adjust to and understand their health care experiences. For more information about child life specialists, visit the Association for Child Life Professionals.
Child Life specialists:
- Promote patients’ development by normalizing daily routines, activities, and environment
- Educate and prepare patients and families about the healthcare experience in an approach that meets their individual needs
- Provide individualized support to siblings of hospitalized children
- Encourage developmentally appropriate activities and play
- Help patients enhance their coping skills when dealing with fear, pain, anxiety, and separation from family, friends, and their familiar environments
- Provide consultation to healthcare team and supports families regarding patients’ developmental and psychosocial issues
- Provide individualized support before, during, and after medical procedures
- Facilitate medical play in individual and group settings
- Promote family centered care by offering information, advocacy, and guidance
- Educate hospital staff about child development and related issues
- Initiate tutoring support for patients missing school due to hospitalization
- Support celebrations of milestones including birthdays and holidays
- Supervise and train student interns and volunteers
Watch: What is Child Life?

Meet the team
Director
Clinical and Program Managers
6 Northeast - Inpatient Oncology
6 West - Stem Cell Transplant
6 - Inpatient Oncology
7 West - Medicine Patient Service
7 Bert & 8 Bert – Medical-Surgical ICU
Mae Edwards, MA, CCLS
Abbey Romanski, MS, CCLS
Mariah Stevens, MS, CCLS **
Open position
Open position
Hale 8 Cardiac/ICU
Hale 9 Cardiac
Hale 7 Cardiac ICU
Kate Antomaria, MS, CCLS
Open position
Open position
9 Northwest - Neurology
9 East - Medicine Patient Services
Jake Cavanaugh, BS, CCLS
9 East - Behavioral Health/Medicine
Open position
8 Mandell - Medicine
Open position
9 South - Inpatient Medicine/Intermediate Care Program
10 Berthiaume
10 Northwest - Surgery
10 Hale Complex Surgical
11 Berthiaume
Kristen Fraher, MS, CCLS
Open position
11 Hale Neonatal Intensive Care
6 South - Cardiac Catheterization Lab/Cardiac/Cardiac Pre-Op
Kerriann Jackson, MS, CCLS
Open position
Autism Spectrum Center
Brookline Place
CAT/CR
Michelle Dean-Onabajo, MS, CCLS
Nina Lira, MS, CCLS
Open position
Children's Hospital Primary Care Center
Nina Lira, MS, CCLS
Addie Rosenstock, MS, CCLS **
Open position
Dialysis
Emergency Department
GI Clinic and GI Procedure Unit
Nuclear Medicine
Phlebotomy/Pre-Op Admitting
Pre-Op Holding/PACU
Radiology - Fluoroscopy
Radiology - MRI
Urodynamics
Open position
Trust and Special Events
Volunteer Services
Hale Family Center for Families
Hale Family Center for Families/Pawprints
Child Life Specialist-Seacrest Studios
Simulator Program (SIMPeds)
Patient Tech Specialists
Child Life Resource
Per Diem Child Life
Per Diem Child Life Support Staff
Amber Allen
Shayla Barker
Jayde Best
Josie Boeschenstein
Kelly Carey
Samantha Gentle
Lindsey Heigh
Elizabeth Kelly
Kate Sprague
Laine Struzziero
Boston Children's at Martha Eliot
North Dartmouth
Martha Eliot Early Intervention
Open position
Waltham Infusion
Waltham Surgery
Maureen Farrell, MS, CCLS
Open position