Programs
The mission of Reach Out and Read (ROR) at Bellevue Hospital Center is to make literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric primary care, so that children grow up with books and a love of reading.
The Video Interaction Project’s (VIP) core component involves making videotapes of parents and children engaging in play, which the parent then reviews with a developmental specialist. That specialist works from a curriculum that helps them guide the parent to improve cognitive, language and social development.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Most children and adolescents hospitalized in psychiatry in Bellevue Hospital Center have conduct disorders (behavior which is impossible to control) and are brought here for diagnosis and evaluation. A typical stay lasts two to three months; for children who are waiting for foster care placement, the stay is often nine months to a year. Many youngsters come from chaotic or disorganized homes and their families have been unable to provide sufficient structure. A multidisciplinary team provides a very structured environment with daily school, regular mealtimes and bedtimes, and responsibilities like folding clothes. Trips, outings and other recreational activities provide the children with normalizing experiences.
Child Life and Developmental Services
The department of Child Life and Developmental Services (CLDS) specializes in understanding how children grow and develop, and in supporting families to nurture healthy youngsters. With a comprehensive inpatient program that collaborates with other professionals in the outpatient departments, the CLDS succeeds as a national model.
The Frances L. Loeb Child Protection and Development Center
Child abuse has become the leading cause of trauma for children age 4 and under, more than car accidents, fires or other accidental causes. The Loeb Center addresses the unique needs of physically and sexually abused children in the greater metropolitan area by providing forensic child abuse evaluation and treatment.