The Therapeutic Clown Program at SickKids Toronto
The Therapeutic Clown Program at SickKids, in Toronto, was established by Joan Barrington in 1993. As members of the Department of Child Life, therapeutic clowns partner with child life specialists and other health care providers to develop and support patient-care plans within the model of family-centred, compassionate care.
Through the medium of clown, the program offers caring playmates who provide opportunities for safe, inclusive play. The mandate is to minimize stress for patients and their families during hospitalization and treatment through gentle play, light-hearted humour and whole-hearted silliness. Therapeutic clowns humanize and normalize children's experience in hospital by promoting what children do naturally which is play. They view play as an essential part of the child's growth as it fosters imagination and creativity, and facilitates healing, coping, and mastery of skills.
Therapeutic clowns improve the experience of hospitalized children by developing supportive and empowering relationships with patients through the play worlds that are mutually created. Patients decide if, when, how and where this safe play will occur hopefully empowering children when they may feel least empowered.
This unique program provides approximately 10,000 patient visits per year. Three days a week, therapeutic clowns are assigned to 5 in-patient floors, out-patient clinics and high need areas within SickKids. Our current roster of therapeutic clowns include 9 permanent part-time staff: A. Leboo, Clutter, Lubee, Mary Sunshine, Moska, Nuula, Roo, Rose, Tushkin and 2 occasional clowns: Bunky and Doko.
The Therapeutic Clown Program at SickKids relies solely on the generous donations of caring individuals, corporations and foundations. While we receive in-kind services from both the hospital and SickKids Foundation, we do not receive financial support from the operating budget of the hospital and its foundation. We are completely responsible for sustaining our program through our own fundraising efforts.
Manager - Lucia Cino
Office Manager - Susan Riddell
Office Phone (416)-813-6629
Fax (416)-813-5364
Email: lucia.cino@sickkids.ca
www.sickkids.ca. Click on 'Programs and Services' link.
Charitable Business Number 10808 4419 RR0001