6 November 2026
What Families Wish More People Knew About Children’s Hospices
When people hear the words “children’s hospice”, they may immediately think about end-of-life care, hospitals and sadness. But for families who use a children’s hospice, the reality is much broader.
At Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, children’s hospice care is about helping babies, children and young people with life-threatening or life-shortening conditions make the most of everyday life - while supporting the whole family too.
So, what do families wish more people knew about children’s hospices?
A children’s hospice is about living, not just dying
One of the biggest misconceptions about children’s hospices is that they are only places for children at the end of their lives.
That isn’t the case.
Children’s palliative care can begin from the point of diagnosis and continue alongside other treatment for many years. The aim is to improve quality of life by managing symptoms, providing specialist care and supporting the emotional, practical and social needs of the whole family.
At Noah’s Ark, specialist clinical care is provided alongside play, creative therapies, family activities, short breaks and emotional and practical support.
As Noah’s Ark explains, its specialist carers and nurses help children enjoy life “as children, rather than as patients.”
That might mean clinical care one day and sensory play, Music Therapy, creative activities or time with friends and family the next.
Children’s hospices are places for joy and play
A hospice can sound like a very serious place. But children are still children, and play is an important part of childhood.
A comment we often hear from families is that our hospice is nothing like they imagined.
"A children’s hospice is a place for children to live. It’s a place where memories are made and where you feel supported. It’s about making the most of the life that you have, even if it’s not as long as the average person."
Katie, Mum to Leia who is supported by Noah’s Ark.
At The Ark, Noah’s Ark’s purpose-built children’s hospice in Barnet, families can access sensory and soft-play spaces, creative activities, an accessible playground, gardens and a range of facilities designed around children and families.
The Ark is deliberately designed as a home away from home, rather than feeling like a traditional hospital. Set within a 7.5-acre nature reserve, it provides spaces where children can play, explore, relax and simply be themselves.
For families, that can make an enormous difference. A child’s diagnosis may be an important part of their life, but it does not have to define their childhood.
A children’s hospice supports the whole family
Another thing families wish more people understood is that children’s hospice care is not just about the child who has a serious health condition.
When one child is seriously unwell, the whole family can be affected. Parents may need emotional and practical support, while brothers and sisters may need somewhere to talk, play and spend time with other children who understand what they are going through.
That is why Noah’s Ark takes a whole-family approach, offering support that can include family activities, practical advice, emotional support, short breaks and dedicated sibling support.
Sibling support can include Creative Therapies, groups, activities and even residential weekends, giving brothers and sisters the chance to have positive experiences and make memories of their own.
A children’s hospice doesn’t replace the NHS
Another common misconception is that accessing a children’s hospice means leaving a child’s existing healthcare team behind.
It doesn’t.
Noah’s Ark works alongside children’s existing NHS and healthcare professionals, which may include hospital consultants, GPs, community nurses, therapists and other specialists.
The hospice team provides additional specialist palliative care and support, working collaboratively around the needs of the child and family.
And care does not have to happen inside the hospice building. Noah’s Ark can provide support at home, in hospital, in the community and at The Ark, depending on what works best for each family.
Hospice care doesn’t necessarily mean staying overnight
Some people imagine that going to a hospice means moving into one.
For many families, that is not what happens at all.
Children can visit The Ark for activities, therapies and clinical care, while specialist nurses and carers can also provide support at home. Short breaks and overnight care may be available when appropriate, giving children the opportunity to enjoy new experiences in a safe, supportive environment while parents and carers have time to rest.
Our aim is to adapt care around the individual child and family – not expect every family to fit the same model of care.
Children’s hospices provide much more than medical care
A children’s hospice does provide specialist medical and nursing care. But that is only one part of the picture.
At Noah’s Ark, support can include clinical care, Specialist Play, Creative Therapies, family activities, sibling support, practical advice, short breaks and bereavement support.
Our Family Link team can help families navigate practical issues and access additional support, while our wider Care Team can help children communicate, play, develop and enjoy meaningful experiences.
In other words, children’s hospice care is about treating the whole child and whole family, rather than focusing solely on a medical condition.
End-of-life care is important – but it is not all hospices do
There is an important truth behind some of the public perception of children’s hospices: specialist end-of-life care is a vital part of what they provide.
When a child is approaching the end of their life, Noah’s Ark can provide specialist end-of-life care at home, in hospital or at The Ark. The focus is on comfort, dignity and supporting the child and their family.
But hospice support can continue beyond a child’s death, too.
Noah’s Ark provides bereavement support for families, with support available for up to three years and three months after a child has died. This can include counselling, creative therapies, support groups, activities and support for siblings.
At The Ark, dedicated bereavement suites also allow families to spend precious time with their child after death in a private, calm environment with specialist support on hand.
A children’s hospice is a place for memories
Perhaps the most important thing families wish more people knew is that a children’s hospice is about much more than illness.
It is about childhood. It is about family life. It is about friendship, laughter, play and making memories.
For a family with a child that has a life-threatening or life-shortening condition, everyday experiences that other people might take for granted can become incredibly important.
A family activity. A sibling day out. Time in the sensory garden. A favourite song. A short break. A birthday celebration. Time together somewhere that feels safe.
These are all part of children’s hospice care.
As Noah’s Ark’s family stories show, every family’s experience is different. But at the heart of the support is the same ambition: helping children and families make the most of the time they have together.
So, what is a children’s hospice?
A children’s hospice is a place of specialist care, but it is also a place of support, connection, play and family life.
It is not simply a place where children go when they are dying. It can be somewhere they visit for a day, somewhere they receive care at home, somewhere they make friends, somewhere their siblings feel understood, or somewhere their family can find practical and emotional support.
And when end-of-life care is needed, a children’s hospice can provide specialist, compassionate support through one of the most difficult times a family can face.
Perhaps that is what families wish more people knew most of all: children’s hospice care isn’t just about the end of life. It is about helping children and families make the most of life, every day.
Learn more about making a referral to Noah’s Ark.
