The Power of Child Life at Valley Children’s

We are so grateful to organizations like Vulcan Materials Company, Spirit Halloween, United States Cold Storage, Burlington Stores Foundation and Panda Cares Center of Hope for their continued support of our Valley Children's Child Life team. A hospital stay can feel overwhelming for children and their loved ones. Especially for our young patients, that fear and confusion can be magnified. At Valley Children’s Hospital, our Child Life team is here to meet kids at their level, transforming the unfamiliar into something understandable—and even playful.

Play is the Work of Childhood

Play is how children process the world, make sense of big emotions, and reclaim a sense of control in stressful situations. When a child is hospitalized, our Child Life Specialists step in to turn toys into tools for coping, learning, and emotional resilience.

Experts in the Unspoken

Certified Child Life Specialists are experts in child development and emotional support. They work hand-in-hand with doctors, nurses, and families to reduce fear, pain and anxiety. Whether using a doll to demonstrate a new procedure or bringing out art supplies to help a child express complex feelings, they know how to speak the language of kids. As one of our specialists puts it: “We never tell a child not to cry. We acknowledge those feelings. Our job is to help children and families navigate hard things—with honesty, compassion, and creativity.”

A Calming Force in a Clinical World

The Child Life team supports nearly every area of the hospital—from surgery and oncology to the emergency department and radiology. They help children prepare for MRIs, IVs, and new diagnoses. They provide distraction during procedures, create moments of laughter in long stays, and even help siblings and parents process what’s happening. It’s a small but mighty team, helping thousands of children every year feel less alone and more in control.

Because Every Child Deserves to Feel Like a Kid—Even in the Hospital

Your support helps fund Valley Children’s Child Life program and brings comfort, courage, and play to kids when they need it most. For donations click here or if you'd like to discuss a transformational gift, please call us at 559-353-7100.

Valley Children’s Foundation is sincerely grateful to be the recipient of a $70,000 grant from Taco Bell to support The Fresno Truck Center Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program. Taco Bell has been generously supporting Valley Children's Healthcare since 1993, and this long-standing partnership continues to make a meaningful difference.

"This grant allows us to reach more young survivors with the tools and guidance they need to build a healthy, successful future," said Dr. John Gates, Valley Children's pediatric hematologist/ oncologist and director of The Fresno Truck Center Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program. "We're grateful to the Taco Bell Foundation and our local franchise partners for believing in our mission and investing in the potential of our youth." Support like this ensures that young survivors have the tools they need to lead empowered lives—making a lasting impact on the children and families in our community.

Thanks to a generous $10,000 grant from Enterprise Mobility in support of the Claude and Betty Lou Laval Angel Fund. With this gift, Valley Children’s is able to continue to enhance the care we provide to families across the Central Valley. This support helps ensure that children and families throughout the region have consistent access to high-quality care and specialized treatment. The Angel Fund provides financial assistance to help families cope with the burden of non-medical financial needs associated with their child's hospitalization, such as rent for families who take extended absences from work to be with their child or car repairs to travel to and from the hospital.

A heartfelt thank you to the Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation for their $10,000 grant supporting Valley Children’s Healthcare. In 2024, the Oncology Food Pantry served approximately 8,500 family members. With this gift, we expect to provide food for an additional 1,500 to 2,000 family members over the course of the next year. This program will help us to provide relief to families staying at the hospital while their children are undergoing cancer treatments and free them from the anxiety of being able to afford food while they are away from home.

Previously, this program has been funded almost entirely by voluntary donations from generous hospital employees and private donors who saw a need in the hospital. Thanks to the CARES Foundation, we will now be able to provide food to thousands of additional family members and support the efforts of the staff and donors who have already given so much.

Stop by your nearest 7-Eleven from June 25 to August 26 as they campaign for Valley Children's Hospital!

We are so grateful to our partners at Walgreens for their continued support of Central Valley kids. During their 2024 CMN Hospitals campaign, 48 Walgreens  locations throughout the Central Valley raised over $26,000 for Valley Children's Hospital! Thank you to all the Central Valley Walgreens locations for an incredible year, and we look forward to their 2025 campaign starting on September 8th!

27th Annual KISS Country for Kids Radiothon

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Tune in and help us knock out cancer for kids!

This year's event will be broadcast from the hospital rotunda on September 4, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Please tune in to 93.7FM or ksks.com to hear inspiring stories of hope from patients and families we serve.

Valley Children's Hospital Harvest Ball

Saturday, September 27, 2025

To secure your sponsorship early to this sell-out event, feel free to reach out to us at Foundation@valleychildrens.org.

Kiwanis River Run

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Kiwanis Division 5 is hosting the annual event at George's River Ranch in Madera. Check-in begins at 7:00 a.m., and the run begins at 8:15 a.m. Register for a 5K Run/Walk, 10K Trail Run, 2-Mile Fun Walk/Run, or Kids 1/4-Mile Fun Run—all to raise money for Valley Children's Hospital's Injury Prevention Program. Click here to register.

If you're interested in other ways to support or get involved with Valley Children's Healthcare, be sure to check out upcoming events hosted by the Guilds of Valley Children's! Click here to view the Guilds Events Calendar.

Valley Children's Healthcare Foundation

(559) 353-7100

ValleyChildrens.org/Foundation