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Newswise — Westwood, CA – June 27, 2024—UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital celebrated the grand opening of its newly built Child Life Zone, a state-of-the-art play and learning area designed to create a vibrant, engaging environment for our young patients.
“This is a Child Life Zone, and what I love about Child Life Zones is it’s the one place in the hospital that doctors are not allowed,” says Brooks, whose Teammates for Kids Foundation has built 15 such zones in children’s hospitals across the country. “I think my favorite thing is: if you’ve got a child that needs care, what happens to the brothers and sisters? Well, they come down here and they get to be brothers and sisters together here. These play zones reduce the amount of medical attention kids need to recover, he adds, and shortens their hospital stays, “because what kids do best is being kids, and this is what happens (here).”
Country music star Garth Brooks founded the Child Life Zone project and joined hospital patients and their families to celebrate. The Child Life Zone provides a safe, fun, and therapeutic space, enhancing the well-being and recovery of children during their hospital stay.
About the Child Life Zone: Teammates For Kids, founded by Garth Brooks, has established Child Life Zones in 15 children's hospitals across the U.S. and Canada. These state-of-the-art therapeutic play areas provide a safe space for pediatric patients and their families to play, learn, and relax, with child life specialists offering support throughout treatment.
In 2018, the Teammates Foundation contributed $3 million to renovate a new center at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. The project, featuring a Hollywood and beach theme reflecting Los Angeles, was completed in 2020 and designed by the Teammates Foundation. Despite delays caused by COVID-19, the center has been operational since 2022. The Berger Family Foundation funded the Teammates Foundation for this transformative project, revolutionizing patient care at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital.
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