The Beginning . . . The Dove Foundation, with a seed grant from Ronald McDonald Children's Charities and McDonald's Inc., spent several months researching this issue and developed a program that addresses the difficulties stated above. The pilot program was an overwhelming success, and is currently up and running in 24 institutions. The Background . . . It is also generally acknowledged that this type of programming is unsuitable for young children.
Most parents can screen what their children watch in the home.
Entertainment is an important escape for these unfortunate youngsters, especially during such trying times. Hospital staffs rarely have the time or resources necessary to protect the children from unsavory television programming. While many hospitals offer alternatives such as premium cable channels, they are usually available to patients for a fee not covered by insurance. The program content on many of these cable channels is also questionable where children are concerned, leaving them in need of more appropriate programming. In some cases, where video libraries are available, hospital staffs complain that the tapes and VCR's are frequently lost, stolen or damaged.