Advocating for Your Child’s Physical and Emotional Well-Being

Your child has rights as a patient and you also have rights and responsibilities as a parent. Some of those rights include taking part in all decisions regarding your child's care and treatment, asking questions freely; whether to ask to see another doctor, get a second opinion or change doctors or hospitals; and asking for things to be explained more clearly if you don’t understand fully. Read more about patient/parent rights and responsibilities. We work closely with parents and family members and provide several services and resources to help make difficult experiences as easy as possible. Read more about how we work with families at Children's Colorado

Patient- and family-centered care is when the healthcare providers and the family are partners working together to best meet the needs of the child. This allows parents and patients to ask questions, share information and truly be a part of the treatment and decisions being made. Be sure your child's healthcare providers practice family-centered care. They are there to acknowledge and support you.

Family-centered care manifests itself in hundreds of ways throughout Children's Colorado, from helping parents administer their child's medication to implementing a home treatment plan to asking a nurse if they washed their hands.

Emotional safety looks beyond physical health to incorporate all aspects of a child's unique history, including developmental, emotional and sensory factors that may influence how they react to care environments.

According to Jenaya Gordon, MA, CCLS, NCC, manager of child life at Children’s Colorado, emotional safety should always go together with physical safety. "You can't really separate the two because nobody feels physically safe if they feel emotionally threatened," Gordon explains. "Nobody can heal physically when they're in a state of trauma and fear about the care they're getting.

Gordon helps both team members and parents understand emotional safety, which minimizes distress and discomfort at the doctor — both now and in the future. That’s because adverse or traumatizing medical experiences during childhood can make a person healthcare avoidant later in life. Fortunately, Gordon and her team have a strategic approach to proactive emotional safety measures, which consider the specific needs of each individual child.

When seeking care at Children's Colorado, parents can always request a child life specialist to explain an illness, prepare for a procedure, assist with comfort positioning (a way of holding your child to soothe them during a shot or procedure) or support their child in other ways. Our child life team can also work with your family to establish an adaptive care plan to support children with developmental or behavioral challenges. Adaptive care plans may contain elements like hospital tours, coping plans, photos to illustrate procedures and more.

At home, parents can prepare their child for an upcoming medical experience by being honest and informative. For example, if a child needs to visit their primary care doctor for a vaccination, parents can inform the child a few days beforehand. They might say, “It’s important to keep your body healthy, and part of that is going to the doctor even when we feel well, so they can help us continue to feel great in the future.” Then, as the appointment nears, parents can explain the vaccination procedure step by step, with sensory details, such as “first, you’ll feel cold soap that cleans your skin,” and “next, you’ll feel a poke that lasts less than 20 seconds.”

Additionally, it's helpful to give your child options to make the experience feel more emotionally safe. For example, you can ask them if they’d like to sit on their dad’s lap during the shot and employ a comfort hold to make them feel more at ease. Or, ask if they'd like to look at a book or hold a stuffed animal in the doctor’s office. Involving patients in their own care is an empowering and essential aspect of emotional safety.

"The more families can understand how to advocate for emotionally safe medical care, the better experience they're going to have," Gordon adds.

If you are employed, first check with your employer to see what options they might offer. If you are a Colorado resident and would like to learn more about private and public health insurance options for your family, please visit Connect for Health Colorado. For more information about financial assistance at Children's Hospital Colorado, visit Financial and Medical Assistance Programs for Families

It is not only appropriate, it's necessary! Being involved in your child’s education plays a powerful role in their academic success. If you’re wondering how to advocate for your child at school, keep in mind that you and your child's teacher should work together to develop plans that make the school experience as positive as possible.

Regular communication with your child's teacher can help shed light on any problems or issues your child is having in the classroom, as well as assure you how your child is doing in school. While in-person conferences aren't always feasible, there are alternative ways to connect with your child's teacher, such as sending notes back and forth in your child's backpack, emailing or even trading voicemail messages.

Whether your child has special healthcare needs, is neurodivergent, has learning disabilities or challenges or is a gifted child, resources are available to help make sure your child is successful in school. Most importantly, develop strong partnerships with your kid’s teachers, therapists, counselors and school personnel, and have regular conversations about how your child is doing in school.

Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 education plans can be put in place to ensure everyone is on the same page regarding the support your child needs.  Ask your child’s school about options and read more about learning disabilities and IEPs from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

If your child has complex healthcare needs, Children's Colorado also offers the Medical Day Treatment Program. This program provides an educational alternative for children whose needs are too complicated for them to attend regular school. Through this program, children can continue to meet school expectations in an environment that provides the medical and emotional interventions they need.

If for any reason you are unable to get the assistance you need at your child's school, legal means are available. If your child's disability affects their educational performance, you have the right under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to have your child tested to determine their needs.

Many schools also offer programs to address the needs of children who are considered “gifted and talented.” These programs should provide children with stimulation and challenges, encourage creativity and individuality, offer an accelerated pace of learning and an increased breadth and depth of topics covered.

In Colorado, Family Voices is an organization that can help parents and caregivers of children with special needs navigate healthcare and school-based systems so families can effectively advocate for their children.

If your child needs help with bullying, it might be time for you to step in. When bringing up an ongoing issue with another parent, have the conversation privately rather than in front of other people. Begin by asking the other parent for their help. Don’t blame or shame, just stick to the facts and try to avoid using the word “bully.” Instead, you might say "treating unfairly," "not being very nice," or "not being respectful." Admit that you may not have the whole story (there are always two sides), so be open to what the other side is. You might even mention how awkward you feel bringing up this topic. Focus on working together to find a resolution that works for everyone. If the bullying doesn't stop, follow up with the parent again.

In addition to directly communicating with other parents, have regular communication with school personnel. Ask your child’s teachers, coaches and guidance counselors how your child is doing socially and emotionally at school and within their peer groups. If the bullying is happening at school, they need to be made aware so they can help. Lastly, be sure to keep tabs on your child’s online presence and make sure they're using social media safely to help prevent cyberbullying.

If there is a topic or issue that impacts your family, make your voice heard by contacting your elected representatives. You can call, email, write or meet with officials, draft letters to the editor of local newspapers or share information with your friends and family to mobilize others in your network. You can encourage legislators to vote “yes” or “no” on specific pieces of legislation and tell them why it matters to you. Stay informed of issues in your community by reading and watching local news, talking to your neighbors and friends and forming your own opinions.

Start with determining who your elected officials are and if the issue you're concerned about is being addressed at the city, state or national level. Contact the right governmental leader for your issue. Do your research and come prepared to answer questions. Be pleasant, professional and clear, and ask for a specific result, vote or action.

Read about the child health advocacy efforts at Children's Colorado and learn about the legislative issues we're speaking up about in our Child Health Champions Action Center.