Parent Advisor Program

Parent Advisors

Parent Advisors are volunteers who provide parent input and involvement at Akron Children’s.

Time commitment: Attend a 2½ hour parent advisor training, undergo a security background check; and meet immunization standards.

Hospital Committees: These include Ethics, Patient Safety, Home Care, and Family-Centered Care.

Time commitment: Each committee has a set monthly meeting date and time with day and evening times available. Typical meeting length is 1-hour. Match your interest/expertise with a meeting time schedule.

Focus Groups & Performance Improvement Projects: These are small groups of 2-4 parents working with staff on a specific project. Groups are formed on an as needed basis.

Time commitment: 1-2 meetings per project; day and evening opportunities available.

Sharing Your Patient Experience:  You may work with our staff to share your experiences with all types and sizes of audiences. We will help you tell your child's story to educate our staff and raise community awareness about specific topics and health-related issues.

Email Reviewer: There are opportunities for Parent Advisors to critique printed educational information, review and comment on policies and participate in online surveys. This is a great way to provide valuable information to the hospital without leaving your home.

Family Action Collaborative Teams (FACT groups)

A group of Parent Advisors who work in a specific area of the hospital. Parent Advisors and staff devote their time working on projects that affect a particular department. Currently, FACT groups are working in the NICU, PICU, NeuroDevelopmental Science Center, Cystic Fibrosis and Diabetes.

Time commitment: 12, 1½ hour meetings per year, meeting day and times are set by the group.

Parent Mentor

There is nothing like having the opportunity to meet and talk with a parent who has had a similar diagnosis or medical experience as your child. The information and resources learned from experience represent an invaluable gift to a newly-diagnosed family. Parent mentors typically provide support one-on-one over the telephone.

Individual mentoring opportunities are voluntary and calls can be made from your home.

There are also opportunities to provide mentoring services to parents who have children in the hospital on a unit where you have had the most experience. Mentors who visit families at the hospital must complete a security background check and meet immunization standards.

Time commitment: Attend a 2 ½ hour orientation meeting.