BABY CUDDLER PROGRAM | STONY BROOK CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Offers a volunteer program to fill the need when a baby is in the hospital for an extended period, he or she may not be able to get that comfort from parents as often as they need it. Parents may have other children, work obligations or medical needs of their own, while nurses are often busy with pressing medical tasks. Baby Cuddlers are trained volunteers who visit babies while they’re under our care. During their three to four-hour shifts, the volunteers rock the babies, sing lullabies, and provide the all-important human touch that supports the emotional and social healing of these fragile infants. If the baby is sleeping or resting comfortably, the volunteers may also help out in the unit in other ways, such as stocking toiletries and supplies and folding blankets. In order to become one of our Baby Cuddlers, volunteers are carefully screened and trained on disease control and privacy laws. They are not allowed to know why the baby is in the unit. Call for detailed information.