Rainbow Kidz

Unfortunately, children are not immune to life-limiting conditions or the experience of losing a loved one.

Rainbow Kidz is a special pediatric program provided by Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County, offering hospice, palliative and supportive care as well as bereavement services to address the complex needs of children and their families during life's most difficult times.

Hospice Care

Rainbow Kidz's multidisciplinary team of hospice professionals specialize in providing comfort care to infants and children up to 18 years of age who have life-threatening illnesses. This team works closely with the patient, their family and physician to develop a care plan focused on minimizing pain and managing symptoms.

Our pediatric nurses visit the patient and family at home to assist with the medical management of the child's care plan. Home care aides can also help with patient care as well as perform light housekeeping tasks.

Our social workers provide emotional support for the child and other family members, and our chaplain is available to discuss spiritual concerns that might arise during the end-of-life experience.

Volunteers also play an important role in our Rainbow Kidz hospice program, providing companionship for the patient or other children, help with transportation and other errands and respite for the parent or caregiver.

Palliative Care

The Rainbow Kidz program provides palliative consultations and home care visits for children with chronic conditions and life-limiting illnesses. Our physicians and nurse practitioners work together with the child's primary physician to develop the right plan of medication and therapy to relieve pain, manage symptoms and ensure the best quality of life.

Palliative care is available to any child living with a serious illness, regardless of diagnosis or prognosis. Care can begin at any point and can be administered while the child continues to receive curative treatment.

Supportive Care

The challenges of caring for a child with a chronic or life-limiting condition can seem overwhelming, as families often find they have many questions and seemingly few answers. Rainbow Kidz pediatric social workers and chaplains work together with the patient's primary medical caregiving team to offer guidance and ensure that spiritual and emotional needs are met.

Grief Support

Recognizing that children react very differently to grief than adults, Rainbow Kidz provides one-one-one bereavement counseling tailored to their special needs. These services are available to any child or adolescent who has experienced the death of a friend or loved one.

Rainbow Retreat

Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County hosts the Rainbow Retreat, an annual one-day bereavement camp for children and their families who are coping with grief in the wake of losing a loved one. There is no cost to attend, and the camp is open to all members of the community, regardless of whether they have received other services from HPCIC.

Good Grief Groups

Part of the Rainbow Kidz program, HPCIC's Good Grief Groups make expert support and guidance available in the familiarity of the school setting. These weekly group sessions are led by social workers and bereavement counselors to help middle and high school students who have suffered a loss understand that they are not alone.

Prenatal Bereavement

The Rainbow Kidz team is available at any time to provide support for parents who have received a life-limiting prognosis for their unborn child.

Learn More

To obtain a referral or request more information about Rainbow Kidz, call Leigh Ann Darty at 704-873-4719, ext. 4313.