Children's Palliative Care

Focusing on Your Child's Comfort

We’re here for you and your child. Sanford Children’s Palliative Care provides compassionate care for children diagnosed with life-changing illnesses and those in need of pediatric end-of-life care. We emphasize the comfort of our patients.

Palliative care can be a part of a patient’s treatment plan at any stage of an illness. It means that the main focus of any treatment is on the child’s comfort and quality of life. Palliative care specialists seek to relieve or prevent pain and suffering.

Sanford Children’s also offers hospice care for pediatric patients. Ava’s House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, offers hospice care specifically designed for children and their families.

For physicians: Refer a patient to Sanford Health.

Compassionate, Comfort-First Medicine

We’ll help you and your child handle the stress of a serious or chronic illness and help ease your concerns every step of the way. Our services include:

• Bereavement counseling
• Helping with decision-making concerning end-of-life care
• Improving our patients’ quality of life
• Pain management
• Spiritual, emotional and social support
• Stress relief
• Symptom relief

With Sanford Children’s Palliative Care, children have a whole team of supporters working with them and their families. Palliative medicine providers include specially trained nurses, child life specialists, pastoral care, clinical pharmacists and social workers. Your child’s support team is available 24/7 at any point to tend to your child’s needs when it matters most.

Sanford Children’s also has doctors who have expanded their palliative services to caring for children with chronic conditions. Learn about the PRISM Team.

Find a palliative medicine clinic or specialist near you.