The Gift of Time

George Mark Children’s House provides the gift of time to children with life-limiting illnesses and their families – time for kids to be just kids and parents to be “mom” and “dad”, instead of round-the-clock caregivers. As the first— and, currently, only—freestanding residential pediatric palliative care facility in the United States, we offer a unique alternative to hospice, hospital, or home care. Our House is setting a new standard for pediatric palliative care, providing high-quality medical care to children with life-limiting illnesses and much-needed support services to their parents and siblings in a home-like setting.

Comprehensive Care

We serve as a medical model for interdisciplinary palliative care for children and their families. We have doctors and nurses who provide 24/7 medical care for our children, and our Interdisciplinary Team also includes a licensed social worker, psychologist, child life specialist, and chaplain who address the emotional, social, psychological, and spiritual needs of the entire family. We support families from the time of receiving the prognosis that their child is unlikely to live into adulthood, through their journey of life, the child’s death, and beyond, with bereavement support that is not time-limited.

Compassionate Care

We measure ourselves by lives affected rather than by beds occupied. We offer our services in a licensed, warm, home-like environment, providing a comforting space for children and their families, including two family apartments. We help them with respite care, transitional post-hospital care, pain and symptom management, and at the end of life. Our care is provided regardless of a family’s ability to pay, thanks to the generosity of our donors.

Leading-edge Care

George Mark is a model for innovative pediatric palliative care and also trains medical professionals to provide that care. We use the latest pain and symptom management techniques, including hydrotherapy. Our services are delivered by a compassionate interdisciplinary team that works with the entire family. Emotional and spiritual support are key components of our program, as are therapy animals. We are the first, of what we hope will be many, similar facilities in the United States.