Child Life and Social Service Programs

Programs include educational activities, recreational activities, and counseling services to promote a child’s continued emotional and social development during and after treatment.

Our faculty also provides counseling services that address the emotional needs of patients and their families -- an approach that ultimately enhances treatments and the prospect of recovery. These programs are staffed by licensed clinical social workers, nurses and child life specialists. These professionals provide individual and group counseling and offer assistance in finding valuable community resources.

Counseling programs include:

• Parent Support Groups: These are informal meetings held by the social worker that cater to the needs of parents who have an ill child.
• Sibling Support Groups : These support groups offer a psycho-social program for siblings of patients to obtain peer support and education within a recreational context.
• Individual Counseling : The social workers are available to offer individual counseling to patients and families.

School Re-Entry Program

The Valerie Fund Children’s Center team assists children in preparing to return to school by visiting the child’s classroom and educating students and teachers about the treatment and side effects of childhood cancer. The Valerie Center assists with modifications of any learning needs, as well as setting up home instruction. Our goal is to dispel myths; integrate the child to school as a student rather than a patient; and establish communication between the school, the child, the child’s parents, and the health care team. When patients are hospitalized over a period of time, the Valerie Center and the Pediatric floor of the Goryeb Children’s Hospital will use the services of Education, Inc.

Education Inc

Education Inc. is a hospital tutoring company that provides tutors for the students at the Goryeb Children’s Hospital. Every student working with an Education Inc. teacher will receive full attendance credit for each day they work, staying on top of their regular classroom curriculum. Our goal is to assist the student in the hospital, as well as through the transition home or to another facility.

Camp Happy Times (CHT)

Since 1983, the Valerie Fund has supported Camp Happy Times, a free one-week camp for children aged five -21 who have had cancer. Nearly 200 children attend Camp Happy Times each summer. The CHT mission is to help campers enjoy a special week of making friends, develop a measure of independence and learning the spirit of cooperation with other campers. At CHT, kids get to have fun surrounded by other kids who understand what they are going through. A week at CHT helps children develop confidence and learn new skills. All the counselors are volunteers; many are cancer survivors.

CHT is held at Tyler Hill Camp, located on 200 scenic acres in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Tyler Hill is fully accredited by the American Camping Association. The facility is well-equipped for fun and games, featuring a lake, pool, golf, tennis and basketball courts; a climbing tower with a zip line; an indoor hockey rink; and arts and crafts facilities. The infirmary is staffed 24 hours a day, enabling children who are still undergoing treatment to enjoy the camp.