Child Life Program
The Child Life Program at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital helps infants, children, youth, and families cope with the stress and uncertainty of acute and chronic illness, injury, trauma, disability, loss, and bereavement. Our team of child life specialists provide evidence-based, developmentally and psychologically appropriate interventions, including therapeutic play, distraction and preparation for procedures, and education to reduce fear, uncertainty, and pain. In addition, they can help:
- Celebrate birthdays, holidays or treatment milestones with your child and family.
- Engage your child in medical play to take the fear out of medical equipment.
- Educate your child about diagnoses and treatments.
- Help your child prepare for tests and procedures.
- Provide support and distractions during medical tests and procedures.
These services are available to patients and families at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital at no extra charge.
Meet the Child Life Team at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
Toy Donations
Patients at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital rely on the generosity of our community to brighten their hospital stay. Your donation of new, unused, and unwrapped gifts helps create a comfortable, healing environment.
Gifts and toys are used by our child life team year-round for special holiday and birthday celebrations, end-of-treatment parties, and to celebrate significant milestones.
Thank you for your interest in donating to our patients. Please contact the Donation Line at 954-265-0843 or email JDCHdonations@mhs.net for any additional questions.
Donation Guidelines
Donations should be scheduled in advance on Tuesdays or Thursdays between 9 am and 4 pm. All donations can be dropped off at the hospital's main entrance:
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital
1005 Joe DiMaggio Drive
Hollywood, FL 33021
Once you arrive in the valet circle, inform valet you are there to drop off a donation. There is a designated donation area inside the main entrance with red bins. Please place the items there and a member of our child life team will retrieve them when available. Please be sure to fill out a donation form so we can provide you a thank you letter.
We accept donations for infants to 18 year-olds.
Although the kids at JDCH receive gifts during the holidays and for celebrations, many of the donated items are also used in our playrooms and patient rooms throughout the year. Toys with fabric cannot be cleaned or used by multiple children. Durable, manageable-sized toys are most appropriate.
No. Unfortunately, due to infection control and patient safety, we are only able to give out newly purchased items in their original packaging.
No. Out of concern for the safety, immunity and allergies of many of our patients, we are unable to accept donations of toys that have been previously played with or were part of private collections.
We accept donations of new books and are unfortunately not able to accept used books due to infection prevention.
We can accept and use knitted IV covers and knitted octopuses and blankets.
Due to safety, allergy and immunity concerns of our patients, we are only able to accept new items.
We are unable to accept the following items:
- Used and previously played with toys, books, games or stuffed animals
- Bicycles/Scooters
- Cards for patients
- Homemade treats (cookies, cupcakes, etc.)
- Latex items
- Private collections of toys, books, games or stuffed animals that have never been played with, but have been stored away
- Violent toys
Due to staffing and transportation limitations, we are unable to pick up donations.
Yes, please mail toy donations to:
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital
Child Life Department
1005 Joe DiMaggio Drive
Hollywood, FL 33021
You also may visit our Amazon wish list to purchase gifts online and have them sent to the Hospital.
We apologize, but because of concerns for patient confidentiality and infection control, our donors are not allowed to deliver gifts directly to children.
We kindly ask that all toys are unwrapped. Please do not put labels or tags on gifts.
Frequently Needed Items for Patients and Families
- Light, sound, and pop-up toys
- Mobiles (plastic only, no fabric)
- Plastic crib toys
- Teethers
- Wrist rattles
- WubbaNub
- Baby Mitts/Socks
- Projector and sound machine soothers
- Onesies
- Dolls (multi-cultural)
- Cars, trucks, trains
- Actions figures / superheroes
- Plastic animals / dinosaurs
- Board games / card games
- Doctor play kits
- Lego sets
- LOL surprise dolls
- Little people play sets
- Kitchen play items
- Musical instruments
- Puzzles
- Wireless Headphones
- Over-the-door basketball hoops
- Plastic dart boards
- Kinex kits
- Teen lego sets
- Board games / Card games
- Arts and Crafts Kits (ex: Slime)
- Jewelry kits
- Play-doh
- Stickers / sticker scenes
- Markers / crayons / colored pencils
- Slime kits
- Sand art kits
- Coloring books (all ages)
- Bubbles
- Nail Polish
- Cozy Socks and Blankets (for all ages)
- Underwear (for all ages)
- Toiletry Kits
- Window Clings
Take a Sneak Peek
Take a virtual tour of our spaces and see how we interact with patients and families.
Student Opportunities
Child life specialists are trained in teaching children and adolescents about medical procedures in a developmentally appropriate manner to promote optimum development, maintain normal living patterns, and minimize psychological trauma.
Recognizing the importance of investing in the field of child life, we currently offer two educational opportunities for students pursuing a career in child life.
Apply for Child Life Practicum and Internship Opportunities
The Child Life Department offers a 16-week full-time internship during the fall and spring. Applicants must be affiliated with an academic program throughout the duration of the internship. Students are supervised by Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) and participate in rigorous hands-on clinical and academic training.
Apply
Please check back for updates regarding the availability of a spring 2026 internship cycle.
Our child life practicum is a pre-internship learning opportunity for individuals pursuing a career as a certified child life specialist. Practicum students will have the opportunity to shadow child life specialists, gain exposure to common procedures, interact with patients and families, and facilitate therapeutic play activities.
Apply
We are now accepting applications for our fall 2025 practicum. Applications are due by July 14, 2025. To apply, download and complete the practicum application and email it to childlife@mhs.net.
Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Prom
Prom is a special time of year for many high school juniors and seniors. For most, it's a time of firsts: the first formal dance where you get dressed up and take professional photos; the first time you drive your parent's car or rent a limousine; the first upscale dinner date with friends. Not only is it a time to celebrate the end of the school year, it marks a milestone in their lives as they transition from high school students to young adults.
At Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, it's is a time for past and current patients to attend prom, despite their physical or medical situations.
In an effort to cherish this special moment, the hospital hosted its first prom in 2016 for our teenage patients, ages 13-19. Every year, a theme is chosen and our patients are treated to a fun-filled evening. Leading up to the prom, teens are also treated to complimentary tuxedo and dress rentals and professional hair and makeup services.
Prom Registration
To register to attend the 10th Annual Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Prom on June 14, 2025, please download and submit your completed prom registration form (English | Español) by April 25, 2025.
Important: Please submit the completed photo release form [English or Español] prior to the prom. This is required in order to attend the event so we can authorize photos to be taken of participants.
Please submit all forms to Brianna, prom coordinator, at briafernandez@mhs.net.
