Child & Teen Support

Children and teens feel serious illness and loss just as deeply as adults, but they often show it in differently. They hear the quiet conversations, see the medical equipment, and sense that everyone is more worried or tired, even if no one has explained what is happening.

You love them and want to protect them, but it can feel impossible to carry your own emotions and theirs at the same time.

AlēvCare Hospice is the only hospice in our service area with a full-time Child Life Specialist, and our child and teen support is designed to give young people a safe place to understand, ask questions, and grieve, while giving you tools to walk through this season with them.

Get Specialized Support for Children and Teens
Call (469) 630-2538 to speak with our hospice team.

What Child & Teen Support in North Texas Includes

Child and teen support at AlēvCare Hospice focuses on the emotional and developmental needs of young people who are experiencing serious illness or loss in their family.

Support can include:

• Age-appropriate explanations of illness, hospice, and death
• Emotional support before and after a loss
• One-on-one time with our Child Life Specialist when appropriate
• Activities, books, and tools that help kids and teens express feelings
• Guidance for parents, grandparents, and caregivers on what to say and how to respond

Our goal is not to force big conversations, but to create safe, natural spaces where young people can ask questions, be honest about how they feel, and feel less alone.

The Role of Our Child Life Specialist

Because AlēvCare Hospice has a full-time Child Life Specialist, we can offer child and teen support that is deeper and more specialized than most hospices.

Our Child Life Specialist:

• Works with children and young adults, generally ages 4 through early adulthood
• Uses play, art, stories, and conversation to talk about illness and loss in age-appropriate ways
• Helps prepare kids for changes they may see (a hospital bed, a loved one looking different, or the funeral)
• Supports children and teens before and after a death, including grief follow-up
• Collaborates with the hospice team so support for kids is part of the overall care plan, not an afterthought

This role is not required or reimbursed by Medicare. We invest in it because we believe children and teens deserve thoughtful, specialized support during difficult seasons.

What a Visit or Session Can Look Like

Child and teen support is flexible and shaped around each young person’s age, personality, and comfort level.

A visit might include:

• Playing a game, drawing, or building while talking about what is happening
• Using books, pictures, or simple explanations to talk about illness or death
• Creating memory items like letters, handprints, or photo projects
• Practicing what to expect at a visit or service (what they might see, hear, or feel)
• Checking in on how school, friends, or daily life are going

Support does not need to feel heavy or formal to be meaningful. Much of the healing work happens through play, presence, and everyday conversation.

When To Ask for Child & Teen Support

You do not have to wait for a crisis, or for a child to “fall apart,” before asking for help.

Child and teen support can be helpful:

• When a serious diagnosis is first shared
• When hospice begins or care needs change
• As a loved one’s condition declines
• In the days, weeks, and months after a death
• Around birthdays, holidays, or anniversaries, when emotions often resurface

It may be time to reach out if you notice:

• Increased clinginess, anger, withdrawal, or “out of character” behavior
• Repeated questions about what is happening or what will happen
• A child acting overly “grown up” or insisting they are “fine”
• Your own uncertainty about how to answer their questions or support their grief

Often, if your gut says they need more support, that is enough reason to ask.

Why This Support Matters

When children and teens are left to make sense of serious illness and loss on their own, they may quietly blame themselves, feel excluded or unimportant, and carry confusion or fear into adulthood.

With child and teen support in place, families often see:

• young people who feel safer asking questions
• Fewer hidden fears and misunderstandings
• Stronger connection between children and their caregivers
• Healthier grief and coping in the months and years that follow

This season will always be a part of their story. Our goal is to help it be a story of care, honesty, and support.