At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), we are committed to partnering with patients and families to provide family-centered care.

As part of this commitment, we encourage family members to be actively involved in all aspects of their child’s care.

For families that are interested in getting more formally involved in sharing their experiences related to their child’s care, CHOP’s Family Partner Program is a volunteer program through which families work directly with us to improve the care experience for all CHOP families.

What do Family Partners do?

Below are some of the ways that Family Partners can get involved and help us advance our mission. If you’re interested in becoming a Family Partner, please contact us at familycenteredcare@chop.edu for information about how to apply.

Joining the Family Advisory Council (FAC)

The Family Advisory Council (FAC) gives patient families the chance to share their perspectives with hospital leaders by providing input on hospital projects, policies, programs and more.

Members of the FAC are caregivers who are members of the Family Partner Program and whose child(ren) are currently cared for at CHOP. The FAC includes families from many different backgrounds whose children have been cared for in many different areas of CHOP and the Care Network. The council also includes CHOP staff from a range of disciplines who are committed to providing family-centered care.

The Family Advisory Council meets monthly from September to June.

Some Family Partners also participate in department- or disease-specific Family Advisory Councils.

Becoming a Family Partner speaker

Family Partner speakers are family members whose child(ren) are currently cared for at CHOP. The speakers share their personal experiences at CHOP with new employees at orientation and with teams across the hospital to help staff understand how their work makes a difference for families.

Working with research teams

Some Family Partners work with our research teams as part of the Research Family Partners Program.  These families provide insights on what’s important to families by sharing their own opinions and experiences, and CHOP scientists use their feedback to develop research studies. In addition to helping to advise researchers, families can also participate in research studies and donate their time by completing research-related tasks, such as answering survey questions and participating in clinical trials.

Participating in focus groups

Family Partners can participate in one-time focus groups to give feedback or suggest solutions for a specific project.

Becoming a LEND Family Mentor

In this role, Family Partners are paired with a clinical professional who is enrolled in the hospital's LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) program. The Family Partner provides a glimpse into the daily life of a child with neurodevelopmental disorders and chronic illness.

Reviewing documents

Family Partners review drafts of brochures, websites, policies, educational materials, newsletters and other materials that are created to support patients and families at CHOP.

Joining a committee

Committees within the hospital often ask Family Partners to provide the family perspective on new programs, projects, policies or processes.

Qualities we look for in Family Partners:

Family Partners should have:

• Experience receiving care at one or more CHOP locations.
• The ability to share their story and insights in a balanced and objective way.
• The ability to listen to and understand different points of view.
• The ability to work collaboratively.
• Respect for diversity.
• A positive attitude.
• Enthusiasm for the vision and mission of CHOP’s family-centered care initiatives.
• The ability to maintain confidentiality.

Diversity is very important to us. We are looking for families that have diverse backgrounds and perspectives whose children have received care at a variety of CHOP locations.

Contact us

If you are interested in becoming a Family Partner, please contact us at familycenteredcare@chop.edu