Child Mental Health and Wellness...
Offering on-line sessions to help YOU help YOUR child!
10/20/2025
🌟 Meet a Member Monday 🌟
💖The Hearts Connected Affiliate Network Registry for community based child life specialists is growing!
👋🏽Say hello to Alyssa Pettinghill, a Certified Child Life Specialist and founder of EmpoweringKidz based in San Diego, California!
🏢Practice Details:
-In-home
-Virtual
-Parent Sessions
Details on HCAN Registry for Community Based CCLS in Bio!
10/17/2025
🌟 Attention Certified Child Life Specialists in Private Practice!
We’re excited to launch the Hearts Connected Community CCLS Registry — a national directory connecting passionate Child Life Specialists dedicated to pediatric wellness, reducing medical trauma, and supporting families in their own communities.
✅ Why join?
• Get listed on the Hearts Connected website
• Reach families looking for local or virtual Child Life support
• Access advocacy tools and connect with peers
• Collaborate to grow awareness and impact
Participation is currently FREE for selected members!
Let’s make Child Life services more accessible — because we’re better together. 💜
📝 DM "Details" for more information.
✅ Ready to join our Network Registry? Apply now through the link in our bio!
10/12/2025
Recess can bring joy, growth, and connection — but it can also come with challenges like disagreements, exclusion, or sensory overwhelm. 🌤️
With guidance and encouragement, parents and caregivers can help children navigate these moments and build confidence in play. 💛
✨ Explore common recess challenges and practical ways to support your child through them.
10/10/2025
⭐Check out our new CCLS approved therapeutic activity designed for children 7-12 years old.
✂️Complete this activity independently or in a group.
Milestones addressed in this activity:
💚Learning to manage big emotions
💪🏾Building stronger, lasting friendships
🧐Noticing social dynamics and group changes
🔑Discovering personal interests and identity
✌🏽Wanting to feel included, supported, and understood
▶️Follow along with our YouTube tutorial & PDF download.
⛓️DM “Paper chain” for link!
10/08/2025
💗 When a loved one is diagnosed, children may experience big emotions — fear, confusion, sadness, or even guilt. They don’t have to face those feelings alone.
At Hearts Connected, our specialists help families navigate these moments with honesty, comfort, and child-centered coping tools. From open conversations to creative expression, we’re here to guide you through every step.
💗 If your family is facing a loved one’s diagnosis, you could benefit from our services. Send us a DM — we’re here to help.
09/15/2025
⏳Hey, Child Life Specialists- Need PDUs for recertification? Hearts Connected has you covered!
Our on-demand PDU package is designed for child life specialists, by child life specialists—practical, meaningful, and ready to access. 🌟
📚 16 on-demand webinars
📝 Quizzes (4–5 questions each, multiple attempts allowed)
✅ Earn a total of 17 PDUs when all quizzes are completed
We hope this package is a helpful resource for you during the recertification process!
Don’t wait until the deadline sneaks up—get ahead today!
👉 Tap the link in comments to grab your package now.
09/14/2025
It’s not a Child Life conference with a picture with characters!!!!
Florida Association of Child Life Professionals (FACLP)
Thank you for having us! It was so good to see everyone!
09/11/2025
Hearts Connected, LLC is partnering with FUNdamental Health Coaching to offer a 5-Part Financial Literacy Course designed exclusively for Child Life Specialists!
Join in and earn 5 hours of PDUs & a wealth of knowledge! Details & registration links in comments!
09/03/2025
Join us for Feed Your Body, Feed Your Mind, a FREE webinar for child life professionals! Led by Stephanie Walsh, MD, MS, FAAP, DABOM!
We will examine the connection between nutrition, mental well-being, and the role food relationships play in shaping child development. We will explore practical strategies to reduce stress and prevent burnout in child life practice.
🗓️ Wednesday, September 24, 2025
🕐 1–2 PM EST
📍1 PDU in Professional Responsibility
🔗 Register at www.heartsconnected.org/event
09/02/2025
You spend time slicing, packing, and adding that little note in their lunchbox…only to have it come home mostly untouched. 💔
It’s not you — it’s a lot of big transitions all at once.
For new kindergarteners, lunchtime can be tricky:
💛 They might be nervous in the cafeteria.
💛 The noise and crowd can feel overwhelming.
💛 They’re more focused on socializing than eating.
💛 And sometimes, they’re just plain tired.
When that lunch comes back, it’s not failure — it’s your child’s way of coping with a world that’s suddenly so big and new.
✨ Child Life Tip: Keep portions small, pack familiar favorites, and let lunch be one of the comforts in their day — a little island of calm in the middle of all the change.
Your love and patience are their safe place — even if they can’t show it right now.
You’re doing beautifully, Mama. 💛 Share with a friend who is, too!
08/28/2025
💔 Our hearts are with the victims, families, and communities impacted by today’s school shooting.
In moments like this, many of us struggle to find the right words. How do we talk to our children about gun violence with openness, while protecting their sense of safety?
✨ Comment or DM “Words” to receive our free guide: How To Talk About Gun Violence.
If you or your child are in need of space to process or grieve, our child life specialists are here for you. 💛
Click the link in our bio to schedule a free consult today.
08/27/2025
Your child says, “I want to stay home and play all day.”
It’s easy to hear that as: They don’t want to go to school.
But often, it’s really: I’m not ready to leave what feels safe.
Kids don’t have the language for “I’m nervous about new routines” or “I miss our mornings together.”
So they wrap it up in play — the one thing they know makes them feel in control.
Here’s where we can shift from convincing to connecting:
✨ Acknowledge the comfort — “You love being home and playing with your toys.”
✨ Name the change — “School is different, and it can take time to get used to.”
✨ Create a bridge — “Let’s plan a special playtime when you get home, so you know it’s waiting for you.”
When we meet the need under the words, we teach them they can handle hard things — without losing what matters most to them.
💛 As Child Life Specialists, we help parents like you turn tough drop-off mornings into chances for trust, confidence, and connection.
💌 Need more ideas for smoother mornings? Follow for child life tips that help you and your child face milestones with confidence.
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Our Mission
Hearts Connected exists to meet the unique needs of children, teens and families facing difficult situations and stressful life transitions using therapeutic play, coping interventions and supportive resources.
Our Vision
Where is is recognized that children and teens have unique needs and will have the capacity to effectively cope through difficult situations.
To:
- Serve children of all ages.
- Provide services tailored to each child and their best interest with our unique skill set
- Maintain objectivity, integrity and confidentiality
- Seek knowledge and skills for excellence
Hearts Connected, LLC was founded by DD Fritch. She is a pediatric nurse of over 30 years and mom of three. While she is now a healthcare leader and consultant, she was at the bedside for many years where she personally witnessed the impact that Child Life Specialist played on both the child and the child’s loved ones while they were facing situations during their medical care that was hard to understand.
She, along with Molly have a deep desire to bring the services that typically are only available to patients in pediatric hospitals to families while they are in their community. Connecting Child Life Specialist all over the United States with parents, caregivers, family members and most importantly, the children they love!
Providing services to help children cope, grieve and heal.
