Family involvement in the Fox Valley

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin wants to partner with families to provide the best possible care to every patient. We understand that you know your child better than anyone. We welcome open, ongoing discussions with families. Our goal is to support families in their caregiving roles by building on their strengths.

Parents can help improve how Children's Hospital cares for children and families in many ways. Whether your child has been in our hospital or has been treated in our clinics, your insight is valuable. Consider the following ways to get involved with Children's Hospital.

Family Advisory Committee

Family Advisory Committee is made up of parents and hospital staff. The committee meets every six weeks to talk about ways to improve care and services and communication between staff and families.

Parents do not need any special experience or background to serve on this committee, however they should be:

• Positive and able to see many different points of view
• Good listeners
• Enthusiastic about the hospital's mission of excellence
• Able to share both positive and negative experiences in a constructive way
• Able to work with families and staff whose backgrounds, experiences and styles may be very different from their own

Families as Partners

Families as Partners asks parents to provide ideas to improve services.

If you volunteer for this program, you may be asked to:

• Participate on committees
• Review policies and procedures
• Review educational materials
• Participate in groups that provide feedback and suggest solutions
• Give presentations to hospital staff from the family's perspective
• Share your experiences with doctors and nurses in training

You may choose the activities that best fit your interests and schedule.

For more information about these opportunities, please contact Kara Van Vooren at kvanvooren@chw.org.