Family Faculty members receive an honorarium, complimentary child care and parking or transportation. The Family Consultant Plan Developed in 1995, this program brings on board as a full-time employee a parent whose child is served at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Uniquely prepared to support families and to consult with staff about strategies for communication and care, the hospital's Family Consultant meets with families, creates programming for families and brings a family member's voice to committees. The program is supported through a grant from the Department of Health in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia began a Family Advisory Council in 1996, to work with senior administrative staff and physician leadership at the strategic planning level.
Family members meet periodically with physicians and staff.
They work side by side with those planning and creating the programming of the hospital. Recruitment for the Family Advisory Council occurs yearly. Family members serve for two years. Assistance is offered for families to participate as fully as possible, by covering child care expenses, parking and transportation expenses. This program, commenced in 1996, orients families in how to cope with the often confusing healthcare system.