ParentWISE & PeerWISE
ParentWISE® (Parent Wisdom In Shared Experience®) and PeerWISE (Peer Wisdom In Shared Experience) are unique hospital volunteer programs.
ParentWISE
As a parent, the person making day-to-day health care decisions for your child — you may feel uncertain, anxious, and isolated. Not even well-intentioned family and friends know first-hand what you are going through. But there are other parents who do.
Because of their personal experiences, ParentWISE volunteers offer hope and practical support to families. Building on the common bond of their child's illness or care experience, ParentWISE:
- Connects parents of current patients with experienced and specially trained parent-volunteers;
- Empowers parents to partner effectively with their child's health care team, and to advocate for their child during and after treatment; and
- Supports families managing the stresses of medical and surgical challenges.
ParentWISE is offered by parents for parents, building on the success of a volunteer parent initiative established in 1987. It operates with the support of hospital leadership, staff, and the Family Advisory Board.
PeerWISE
In PeerWISE, young adults who have dealt with serious illnesses or conditions offer others hope and support. These volunteers (specially trained to help connect with, empower and support current patients) know exactly what it is like to go through challenging treatments. In addition to PeerWISE, more areas of interest may include our Kids Advisory Board, Family Advisory Board, Family Services and Kohl's House.
To learn more...
Call our referral line at 773.880.4119. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact volunteer@childrensmemorial.org and mention the ParentWISE or PeerWISE program.