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Long hospital stays are emotionally, financially, and physically difficult. For newcomer families or those navigating the healthcare system for the first time, these challenges can feel even more overwhelming. From language barriers to parking costs, it’s easy to feel lost and unsupported.
That’s where SMILE Canada’s Hospital Support Program steps in, providing care that’s not only compassionate but also culturally and financially responsive. The program includes the following services:
Tailored Support: Wellness Packages for Families
Hospitals can feel overwhelming, especially for children with complex, sensory needs. That’s why SMILE offers wellness packages, filled with sensory toys to help children feel calm, relaxed, and busy. Caregivers also receive stress-relief items like journals, teas, and weighted blankets to support their emotional well-being during difficult hospital stays. Research shows that weighted blankets can help lower anxiety and discomfort (Becklund et al., 2020).
At SMILE Canada, we recognize that hospital visits affect everyone, not just medically, but emotionally. Families carry fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty with them into every waiting room and overnight stay. Yet, hospital systems don’t always recognize this. That’s why SMILE took the lead, designing care that is not just clinically informed, but emotionally and culturally responsive. Through our tailored comfort and wellness packages, we offer families something many systems forget: relief, dignity, and the reminder that their feelings matter too.
Covering the “Hidden” Costs: Parking and Meals
Hospital stays can come with hidden costs that pile up fast, especially for families with ongoing care needs. Did you know that in Ontario, some disability-focused hospitals charge around $12 per day for parking, with half-hour rates near $2.75 (Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, 2025)? Parking alone can cost families over $300 during a month-long stay. Add meal expenses, and what starts as free healthcare can turn into a financial burden, especially for those with a loss of income due to caregiving demands.
That’s why SMILE Canada’s Hospital Support Program offers reimbursements for parking and meals during long hospital stays. We help families avoid tough choices like skipping meals or delaying visits to save money. This also includes access to halal food, ensuring care that is culturally safe. SMILE steps in where the system falls short to ensure families can focus on care, not cost.
Emotional Support Groups and Peer Networks
Feeling alone during a medical crisis can increase stress, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness. Through the program, registered families can join support groups and access counselling. These safe spaces let caregivers connect, share experiences, and find encouragement from others who understand the challenges of supporting a child in long-term hospice.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (2024), group therapy and peer support help people feel less isolated and more understood, especially during stressful health journeys. SMILE offers flexible support through language-specific sessions and compassionate care so that every family feels safe, included, and supported to participate. SMILE ensures no family has to face it alone, with support through either virtual group sessions or one-on-one check ins.
Assistance with After-Hospital Care and Respite
Caring for a child with medical or developmental needs doesn’t end when a hospital stay ends. In fact, going home can bring new challenges for families. Given that, SMILE offers after-hospital support through funding for respite care, which allows caregivers to take breaks while ensuring their children receive safe and appropriate support.
However, respite is often too expensive, costing $29–$31 per hour (Unity Health Toronto, 2020). Around 89% of SMILE families are unable to afford such rates, making respite out of reach. SMILE helps fill this gap by funding short-term respite and guiding families to access other local services. By focusing on caregiver well-being and support, SMILE ensures families get the help they need both during and after hospital stays.
Culturally Responsive, Multilingual Service
At SMILE Canada, care begins with understanding. All services are intentionally designed with the lived experiences of newcomer families in mind as language and culture are powerful access points to care.
With support available in over 10 languages, SMILE ensures that families can communicate in the language they feel most comfortable in, reducing confusion, building trust, and fostering a sense of belonging. From intake to ongoing care, multilingual staff and culturally safe programming help families feel seen and respected, rather than misunderstood or left behind. For families navigating complex health systems in a new country, this kind of inclusive support can make all the difference.
The Hospital Support Program currently partners with SickKids and Holland Bloorview in Toronto and is working to expand support to London Children’s Hospital. These partnerships allow SMILE to connect directly with families during critical points in their care journey, offering support that pairs with hospital services. By being present in these major pediatric centers, SMILE ensures that racialized, newcomer, and disabled communities are not left behind in moments when inclusive, culturally safe support is needed most.
References
Becklund, A. L., Rapp-McCall, L., & Nudo, J. (2020). Using weighted blankets in an inpatient mental health hospital to decrease anxiety. Journal of Integrative Medicine, 19(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joim.2020.11.004
Canadian Mental Health Association. (2024, October). Increasing formalized peer support services in the Canadian mental health system: Policy brief. Canadian Mental Health Association. https://cmha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Policy-Brief-Increasing-Formalized-Peer-Support-Services-in-the-Canadian-Mental-Health-System.pdf
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. (2024, October 25). Contact us, visiting, directions & parking. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. https://hollandbloorview.ca/about-us/contact-us-visiting-directions-parking
NeuroLaunch editorial team. (2025, January 14). Happiness is a warm blanket: The science and psychology of comfort. NeuroLaunch. https://neurolaunch.com/happiness-is-a-warm-blanket/
St. Joseph’s Health Care & Unity Health Toronto. (2020, August). Respite services. Unity Health Toronto. https://unityhealth.to/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Respite-Services.pdf