Starlight Deliveries: Made for the Kids

Hospital stays, no matter the length, can be stressful, scary, and boring, especially if you’re feeling anxious or alone. Starlight programs are made specifically with that in mind and are uniquely designed to provide joy and to remind a child what it means to be a kid, even when they’re in the hospital. 

Every year, Starlight Deliveries sends thousands of books, toys, games, arts & crafts, and more to over 800 hospitals and medical facilities to provide some of the comfort and joy of home when sick kids need it most.

"Children learn about their world through play, which is why having the right toys that are safe for each individual child is so important! Toys can help a child’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. The toys that Starlight delivers to our hospital partners are carefully selected to ensure that each one is developmentally appropriate and would help create a sense of familiarity and joy to the hospitalized child receiving it." ~ Viktoria de Jong, CCLS, Starlight Children's Foundation

Did you know Deliveries are curated specially and specifically for sick kids in the hospital setting?

Because we serve seriously ill children who are often already in the hospital, there are certain criteria an item must meet to be considered for Deliveries. Things we take into consideration are: 

• Is the item safe for both the physical and mental health of a child? 

• Does the item help normalize a hospitalized child’s environment? 

• Does this item assist with teaching coping mechanisms? 

• Can this item serve as a stress reliever? 

We believe that happiness and healing work together to provide the best possible outcomes for pediatric patients, so we are constantly evaluating our programs against ten pillars that support both of those two principles. This helps us ensure we’re meeting the specific needs of our Starlight Kids and hospital partners. For Deliveries, this means we ask ourselves,

Does this toy or product provide: 

• Play? 

• Entertainment? 

• Comfort? 

• Socialization? 

• Normalization? 

• Procedural Support? 

• Emotional Support? 

• Pain Management? 

• Education? 

• Physical Therapy? 

After careful research, ensuring both the item’s brand and the item itself meet the criteria and align with Starlight’s values, the item can be listed on The Hub, a custom platform made specifically for our hospital partners to securely order exactly what they need, when they need it, at absolutely no cost to their facility.