8 July 2026
Children’s Hospice Care Explained
Children’s hospice care provides specialist palliative care for babies, children, and young people with life-threatening or life-shortening conditions.
At Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, our care is not limited to a specific stage. Support can, and should, begin at diagnosis and continue alongside treatment. Sometimes this care continues beyond end-of-life, and into bereavement support for families. A children’s hospice provides far more than many people expect. At Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, our care is designed to improve quality of life, reduce stress on families, and create meaningful moments together.
What is Palliative Care in Children’s Hospice Services?
Palliative care for children is specialist clinical and holistic support focused on improving quality of life for children with life-threatening or life-shortening conditions. It’s not only about end-of-life care.
Instead, it includes:
Relief from pain and distressing symptoms.
Emotional and psychological support for children and families.
Support with complex clinical needs.
Help with decision-making and care planning.
Coordination between hospital, community, and hospice teams.
Support for siblings and wider family wellbeing.
At Noah’s Ark, children’s palliative care is delivered alongside active treatment ensuring families are supported throughout their journey, not just during times of crisis or at the end of life. This approach reflects the World Health Organisation’s definition of paediatric palliative care, which addresses a child’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. Thanks to advances in medicine and technology, many children with life-threatening and life-shortening conditions are now living longer. As a result, some of the children we support go on to transition into adult services with our support, while others may only require hospice care for a specific period of time. Every family's experience is unique, but our commitment remains the same: to help children and their families make the most of every moment, at every stage of their journey.
Specialist Children’s Hospice Care and Family Support from Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice
At Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, we know that children’s hospice care is often misunderstood. For the families we support, it is not a single service or a final stage of care, but a complete network of support that begins at diagnosis and continues for as long as it is needed. We support the whole family, emotionally, practically, and clinically, wherever they are on their journey. We provide specialist children’s hospice care across our catchment area, supporting families at home, in hospital, in the community, and at our purpose-built children’s hospice, The Ark, in Barnet. Our focus is simple: helping children “enjoy life as children, not patients; and families, not just carers.” This approach ensures families receive continuous, compassionate support throughout their journey. At Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, we provide a wide range of services tailored to each family’s needs. Our support is flexible and adapts over time to meet the family’s changing needs.
Families may receive care from Noahs’s Ark:
At home.
In hospital alongside NHS teams.
In community settings.
At our purpose-built children’s hospice, The Ark.
This continuity of care ensures families are never left without support, no matter where they are.
Family Led Children’s Hospice Care
Many families tell us they prefer care at home, where children feel most comfortable. We deliver specialist children’s hospice care directly to families in their own homes. This includes nursing care, symptom management, and emotional support for parents and siblings. This allows families to maintain daily life while receiving expert clinical care in a familiar environment. We also work closely with hospital and community teams to ensure care is seamless across all settings. A central part of our care is our dedicated children’s hospice, The Ark, in Barnet. The Ark is a purpose-built children’s hospice set within a 7.5-acre nature reserve. It has been designed to be a home-from-home feel welcoming, calm, and life-affirming rather than clinical.
Inside The Ark, families can access:
Woodlands - home to six children’s bedrooms offering short breaks, step down care, urgent care and end-of-life care.
Specialist Play, including sensory and play spaces.
Hydrotherapy pool.
Comfortable family accommodation.
Quiet spaces for rest and reflection.
Accessible outdoor playground, sensory garden and nature reserve.
Dedicated Butterfly Suites for care after death.
The environment is designed to give children space to play, explore, and simply be children, while also giving families privacy and support when they need it most.
Emotional Support for Families
Children’s hospice care is never only about the child. At Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, we support the whole family throughout their journey.
This includes:
One-to-one and group emotional support for parents, carers and grandparents.
Sibling support programmes and activities.
Practical help at home.
Bereavement care after a child’s death.
Opportunities for family connection and shared experiences.
Families often tell us they feel less isolated once they begin receiving support, knowing they are not facing their experience alone.
Short Breaks
Short breaks (respite care) are a vital part of children’s hospice services. It gives families a short break from caring responsibilities while ensuring children receive safe, specialist support.
At Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, short breaks (respite care) may include:
Overnight short stays at our children’s hospice, The Ark in Barnet.
Day care and activity sessions at The Ark.
Community short breaks (home-based care support.)
Planned breaks for rest and recovery.
These breaks help families recharge while children enjoy new experiences in a safe and supportive environment.
End-of-Life and Bereavement Support
While much of our work focuses on living well, we also provide compassionate end-of-life care when it is needed.
This includes:
24-hour specialist nursing support.
Pain and symptom management.
Private family spaces at The Ark.
Emotional support during end-of-life care.
Ongoing bereavement support for the days, months and years afterwards.
Our support does not end when a child dies. We continue to walk alongside families as they navigate grief in their own time.
Why Families Choose Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice
Families choose Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice because our care is:
Available from diagnosis onwards.
Local and accessible across the region.
Delivered at home, in hospital, and at The Ark.Focused on quality of life, not just clinical need.
Designed for the whole family, not just the child who is seriously unwell.Families also value the sense of community and understanding that develops through shared experiences with others in similar situations.
One family reflected:
“At Noah’s Ark you can meet people in a similar situation and immediately have an open conversation because you know they get it.” Roscoe and Gina, parents to Ray and Arthur who are supported by Noah’s Ark
Children’s Hospice Care from Diagnosis Onwards
Children’s hospice care is not only for the end of a child’s life. At Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, our support begins at diagnosis and continues for as long as families need it. Our aim is to help children experience joy, connection, and childhood alongside clinical care, while ensuring families feel supported every step of the way.
Our Catchment Area
We now provide specialist children’s hospice care for families living in:
London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Enfield
London Borough of Haringey
London Borough of Islington
Hertsmere (Hertfordshire)
In addition to this core geographical area, we also support children and families across North West London, working in collaboration with Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.
