ROSIE Kids

Going through a traumatic experience can be a confusing and stressful experience for children, adolescents, and their families. Children process information from the world around them much differently than adults. They have distinct needs for managing the effects of stress and trauma. In times of crisis, children want to know, "Who will take care of me?" They're dependent on adults for their survival and security. They need to know that they are going to be taken care of. Without the assistance of those who understand and are compassionate to their unique perspective, children of all ages may experience emotions such as fear, shame, confusion and loneliness, which can inhibit their natural development, and have lasting negative effects on their wellbeing. At ROSIE, we believe that by providing the resources to develop positive emotional support for children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to healthcare and hospitalization, we can elevate many of these issues before they arise. When children are given opportunities to cope successfully with challenging experiences, they see themselves as more capable, more in control, and more reassured. This success often leads to a more positive sense of self, as well as a healthier regard for medical procedures in general. When children feel less fearful about their circumstances, they experience greater emotional well-being and less psychological distress. Therapeutic play intervention improves the child’s affect on, anxiety symptoms, level of distress, depression symptoms, regression, aggression, and fear, as well as enhances a child’s ability to cope.

"I spent over a month in the hospital after our accident. It was a very scary time for me as my father and older sister had passed away and my mom was at another hospital fighting to survive. I felt lonely, isolated, fearful, and forgotten. Receiving visits, care packages, phone calls and letters would bring a little rosieness into my day and reminded me that I wasn't alone." - Tiffany

Our commitment is to make this outreach available to all children, as we have learned from experience that the issues facing the age group we serve cross socioeconomic, ethnic, cultural, religious and other boundaries by which these children might otherwise be divided. We do this by ensuring that all of our outreach resources are available at no cost. A large component of making this possible is through the engagement of caring adults who can make an enormous difference by volunteering their time and resources to positively influence the children who follow in their footsteps and share their communities. We are proud of the positive impact our outreach program has on children and families, and we are confident that an investment in ROSIE has the potential for far greater individual impact than many other organizations can offer. We believe that our outreach program provides the opportunity for children to grow as kind, understanding and compassionate adults who will have positive impacts on their communities.