Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital Is One of 19 Children’s Hospitals Selected for Grant to the Healing Power of Play to Pediatric Patients
St. Louis, MO – Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital is excited to share it has been awarded a play grant from the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) and The Toy Foundation (TTF). The Children’s Hospital Play Grant Program was created to bring the healing power of play to children in hospitals through projects incorporating play therapy into care services. At Ranken Jordan, play is an integral part of the healing process, and this grant recognizes the shared value of play as part of therapy.
A hospital stay is often a stressful experience for children and their families. Opportunities for play can help relieve this stress, improve children’s well-being, and enhance treatment outcomes. The Children’s Hospital Play Grant Program projects are designed to improve pediatric care at hospitals, particularly in underserved communities, and strengthen the social, emotional, physical, and educational development of children whose needs may otherwise go unmet.
Ranken Jordan has been selected as a recipient of a $17,420 grant to launch an outpatient toy lending library.
“As therapists, we know therapy is most effective when practiced at the hospital as well as the home, says Courtney Dunn, manager of outpatient therapy at Ranken Jordan. “This generous grant will allow families access to developmentally appropriate toys without any additional financial burden. Toys will be specifically selected to address each child’s current functional level. Our therapists hope the toys will only be used for a very short term before mastering the desired skill; at which time, the families can exchange it for a new one. Having this toy lending library will support evidence-based interventions by encouraging repetition of practice in the natural environment guised as play.”
Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital was one of 19 children’s hospitals selected for the grant. Other recipients of CHA and TTF’s Play Grants 2022/2023 program include:
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago – Chicago, IL
- Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center – Temple, TX
- Children’s Hospital at Montefiore – Bronx, NY
- Children’s Specialized Hospital – Mountainside, NJ
- Children’s Hospital of Orange County – Orange, CA
- El Paso Children’s Hospital – El Paso TX
- Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center – Yonkers, NY
- Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital – Orlando, FL
- La Rabida Children’s Hospital – Chicago, IL
- Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital – Loma Linda, CA
- Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Health Network – Tacoma, WA
- MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital – Charleston, SC
- Norton Children’s Hospital – Louisville, KY
- Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital – Maryland Heights, MO
- Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital – Memphis, TN
- Louis Children’s Hospital – St. Louis, MO
- The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis – Tulsa, OK
- University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital – Albuquerque, NM
- UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center – Worcester, MA
CONTACT:
Jennifer Brown, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
jennifer.brown@rankenjordan.org or 314/872-6553
About Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital
Ranken Jordan specializes in caring for children and families who face complicated medical diagnoses. Our 60-bed facility provides a unique array of services through our inpatient, outpatient, and day treatment programs to help ill or injured children achieve their best possible outcomes. Ranken Jordan bridges the gap between hospital and home. Our unique care model, Care Beyond the Bedside, lets children heal through play because we know that playtime is natural for kids and promotes healing.
About The Toy Foundation www.toyfoundation.org
The Toy Foundation (TTF) is a 501 (c)3 children’s charity whose mission is to provide philanthropic support and the vital commodity of play to children and families in need, across the country and globe. TTF’s donations represent the charitable works of TTF and the toy industry. Last year, TTF provided $360K in cash grants to nearly 4 million children severely impacted by the pandemic. Since its inception in 2003, TTF’s signature Toy Bank has provided $225 million in toys to more than 26 million underserved children coping with serious illness, enduring temporary home placements in the foster care system, living with domestic violence, and/or dealing with natural disasters. TTF is also broadening its mission to provide grant funding to children’s hospitals to encourage healing through play and to foster a diverse and inclusive culture and pipeline of talent for the toy industry.
About Children’s Hospital Association
The Children’s Hospital Association is the national voice of more than 200 children’s hospitals, advancing child health through innovation in the quality, cost and delivery of care. Follow us on Facebook @childrenshospitals and Twitter @hospitals4kids.
