Integrating Spiritual Care Into Pediatric Healthcare: Insights from the Dutch Model

Abstract

This article examines the integration of spiritual care into pediatric healthcare, with a focus on the Dutch model at Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The extent to which interdisciplinary spiritual care supports the psychological resilience and emotional well-being of children and their families is investigated. Given the hospital's patient demographics and staff composition, numerous insights are drawn from encounters with Muslim patients and spiritual caregivers. A qualitative, multi-source design is employed, combining a literature review, hospital observations, interviews with spiritual caregivers, and semistructured interviews with parents to illuminate family perspectives. Care practices, child-centered communication, and the institutional structures enabling service delivery are analyzed. The Dutch model represents a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach in which spiritual care is legally recognized and professionally institutionalized. Services are tailored to children's developmental needs and are culturally responsive, extending support beyond religious practice to encompass existential and psychosocial dimensions. The presence of trained spiritual caregivers in clinical teams has been found to reduce anxiety, enhance coping mechanisms, and foster a sense of emotional security among both patients and family caregivers. The findings suggest that the integration of spiritual care into pediatric healthcare can significantly improve patient-family outcomes and promote holistic well-being. Transferable insights are offered by the Dutch example for countries seeking to formalize and expand spiritual care within healthcare systems. It is recommended that policy-level support, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional training be prioritized in developing sustainable, child-centered spiritual care frameworks.