Congregational Care Team
Caring for a child with complex medical needs can be overwhelming for a family. It is often difficult for friends and family to know how to offer support. The Hummingbird Program and Pastoral Care Services at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital offer you a congregational Care Team Model to help facilitate support.
What is a Congregational Care Team?
The Congregational Care Team is a partnership between a family, congregation, Pastoral Care Services, and the Hummingbird Program to provide non-medical support for children with complex medical illnesses and their families.
Examples of non-medical support include: cooking meals, errands, light housekeeping, laundry, lawn care, child care, or transportation for siblings.
Goals of the Congregational Care Team:
- To assist children and their families in identifying their non-medical support needs.
- To help relieve some of the stress experienced by these families.
- To maximize time for families to care for the medical needs of their ill child.
- To assist congregations in serving the members of their church during their time of greatest need.
- To assist children and their families in supporting their wishes thereby enhancing their quality of life.
To learn more about the Congregational Care Team Model, call the Hummingbird Program at 717-531-3558.