Tender Living Care

A Program of Hope and Healing for Families Affected by a Serious Illness

Current Schedule

From the point of diagnosis the Tender Living Care (TLC) Program is able to help children, teens, and adults cope with the changes and losses that come at times of serious illnesses   In addition to weekly peer support groups for children and teens ages 3-18 and their families the TLC Program also offers community outreach, which includes:  telephone support, educational materials, visits and/or presentations to schools, community organizations, conferences, and in the workplace. 

 TLC is there to support hope and give assistance to caregivers in finding sensitive ways of communicating with and guiding children during difficult times.  Often emotional needs are overlooked or misunderstood because of the pressures and challenges everyone faces when someone in a family is faced with a serious illness.  Older children sometimes assume the care-taking of siblings and others, putting their own feelings on hold.  Younger children, who do not have the words to communicate their questions and fears, may construct their own answers, blaming themselves or others for what is happening.  Adults want to know what, when and how to tell children about the illness. 

“Time of Change” is the weekly peer support group for families, offered by The Center for Grieving Children’s TLC Program.   Time of Change sessions are offered five times and year and are held on Monday evenings from 6:15 – 7:15 PM.  This unique program provides peer support to families at all stages of an illness; from the point of diagnosis and beyond, in age appropriate groups children, teens, and adults find a safe place where common issues and feelings can be explored.  Group members grow to understand more about what is happening with the ill person, the illness, other family members, and within themselves. 

In September 2004 “Time of Change” began offering a peer support group for children living with a life-threatening illness. This new initiative is in response to inquiries from the community, including families looking for support for a child and from health-care providers hoping to make a referral for families with ill children.  With encouragement from area agencies such as the Jason Program for Pediatric Hospice, Maine Children’s Cancer Program, Hospice Volunteers of the Visiting Nurses Service, Hospice of Maine, and current and former TLC families, staff and volunteers started intaking participants.

Note:  This program is "peer support" based so the operation of this new group is dependent on the ages and number of children interested.  For more information about programs for ill children, please call Carol Sylvester at 775-5216.

For more information please contact Carol Sylvester.