Mission and spiritual care

When a child is hospitalized, this can be a challenging time for any family. Our experienced chaplains serve as members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team and offer spiritual care to all persons of any faith tradition or religious affiliation who are in need of emotional support. Chaplains are here to be of support to children, parents, siblings and extended family members as they receive care in the hospital. Chaplains help to remember, and honor who a family was prior to coming to the hospital, who they are during their time in the hospital and who they will be after leaving the hospital.

We understand that having a child in the hospital can be a time where families are asking many questions of how and why they find themselves at the hospital. Chaplains are here to support families in exploring how their faith and cultural beliefs can assist them during their time in the hospital. It is our hope that providing support, whether it be in the form of prayer, ritual, reading scripture or the companionship found in speaking with a chaplain, can enhance the health and well-being of a child and his or her family.

Advocate Children’s Hospital chaplains are trained and ready to support people of diverse religious and cultural beliefs and practices and/or special needs surrounding significant life passages. Our chaplains are knowledgeable about the developmental and spiritual life of children. Our chaplains work as members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team, fostering a holistic philosophy and desire to honor the gifts and zest for life that each child brings to this world. Advocate chaplains value the contribution of each community of faith to the health of individuals, families and communities and maintain strong relationships with local faith leaders and communities.

Mission and Spiritual Care staff chaplains are available for emotional and spiritual support and understanding 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To contact a chaplain, call:

Advocate Children’s Hospital – Park Ridge: 847-723-6395

Advocate Children’s Hospital – Oak Lawn: 708-684-5175

In addition, a chaplain can be paged by calling the hospital operator.

Learn more about our approach to pediatric ethics.