Care for Children

Who we are:

Chesapeake Kids is the pediatric hospice program at Hospice of the Chesapeake and Hospice of Charles County that provides compassionate and comprehensive care to children and their families living with a life-limiting condition.

We are an interdisciplinary team of trained professionals including pediatric physicians, pediatric nurse practitioners, pediatric registered nurses, licensed clinical social workers, certified child life specialists, chaplains, specially trained counselors, volunteers, and healing arts therapists.

Our mission is to enhance quality of life, as well as to provide care, comfort, and support for children living with life-limiting illness.  Care is often provided in the child’s home, surrounded by the people and things that matter most to them. We strive to make this time meaningful and positive honoring the hopes that families continue to have for their child. We also offer respite and inpatient care at our inpatient hospice facilities.

Who we care for:

Children with a life-limiting illness including heart disease, lung disease, neurological disorders, genetic and metabolic diseases and anomalies, neuromuscular disease, cancers, and tumors. We will work with the family and the child’s physician to determine whether a child qualifies for our services.  We serve children ages newborn to young adult who are living in Anne Arundel, Charles and Prince George’s Counties.

Children can continue to receive curative treatment and therapies while on hospice services. We work directly with the child’s current medical team to add an additional layer of support during an advanced illness.

What we offer:

Physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual support for parents, siblings and caregivers. We offer family-centered holistic care and a wide range of services designed to enhance the patient’s quality of life including:

  • Pain, symptom and medication management
  • 24/7 on-call support
  • Nurses who are certified in pediatric care
  • Education about disease progression and decision-making support
  • Navigation through a confusing healthcare system
  • Medications, equipment and supplies delivered to the home
  • Healing therapies including aroma, music, pet and touch therapies
  • Memory-making activities for the entire family
  • Child life services including therapeutic play, expressive art, medical play and teaching, and assistance granting wishes and dreams
  • Counseling for emotional needs and grief support
  • Volunteer services
  • Interpretation services

Support Programs for Children & Families

  • Grief support groups for children and teens
  • Individual and family grief counseling
  • Annual bereavement camps for children and teens
  • Hope Full Holidays Support Program
  • Healing Arts Workshops
  • Child Loss Support Group
  • Annual remembrance service for loved ones we have lost

Choosing Chesapeake Kids — Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. We understand that the bond you and your child have developed with your doctor is important and we will work together with your existing care team to create a plan of care that will achieve the goals you value. Children can continue to receive curative treatment and therapies while on hospice services. We work directly with your current medical team to add an additional layer of support during an advanced illness.
Yes. Our pediatric hospice team works closely with our bereavement counselors and will help your family make the transition to grief support services.
No. We accept any child with a life-limiting diagnosis who is eligible for our services.
Absolutely not. Our mission is to ensure and promote quality of life as the patient and family define it. We work closely with families to identify what matters most to them and to develop a plan of care that brings comfort, meaning and positivity to their lives.
In most cases, private insurance companies and Medicaid cover the costs of hospice care. Donations from our community allow us to accept all eligible patients regardless of their ability to pay
Members of our pediatric team would be happy to talk with you over the phone or with an in-person visit at no cost to you. Simply call 410-987-2003 or 1-877-462-1103 toll free.
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