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Welcome to the Department of Volunteer Services at Children's Health

Interested in volunteering at Children' Health? If you choose to volunteer at Children's, you will be joining a team of people dedicated to children and providing high-quality care. You will be an important and valuable member of our team!

Children's Health could not serve all our families without help from a generous community of volunteers. Volunteers, in collaboration with hospital staff, work to "make life better for children" by assisting patients, families, visitors, and staff through customer service, direct patient care, and administrative support.

Our volunteers come from all over the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex to serve in the hospital. They are a diverse group composed of retired individuals, students, working professionals, community members, and pet therapy volunteers. We hope you join our amazing team!

Adult Volunteer Program

Volunteering provides the opportunity for adults to gain valuable experience, learn new skills, make friends, and serve people who need their help. Please note that our volunteers provide services that are strictly non-clinical and are not able to shadow nurses, doctors, and clinicians to observe procedures.

Student Volunteer Program

Children's Health invites high school students ages 16-18 who are interested in volunteering in the hospital setting the chance to apply for our summer VolunTEEN Program. Serving others as a VolunTEEN provides a very rewarding experience, personal growth, and an opportunity to give back to the community.

Volunteer Pet Therapy Program

Our Volunteer Pet Therapy Program began in 1999 with our founding pet therapy group, PAWS Across Texas. In 2015, we expanded our partner organizations to include Pet Partners, one of the nation's largest pet-handling organizations. In 2022, we welcomed Mini Hooves of Love, a miniature therapy horse group certified by Pet Partners, to our Volunteer Pet Therapy Program. Volunteer teams provide the benefits of pet therapy to patients at our Dallas and Plano campuses throughout their hospital stays.

Dallas Location

Learn about volunteer opportunities offered at the Dallas campus.

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Plano Location

Learn about volunteer opportunities offered at the Plano campus.

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Frequently Asked Questions

If you have additional questions, please reach out to us at volunteer_services@childrens.com or call 214-456-6388 (Dallas Campus) or 469-303-3763 (Plano Campus).

  • What are the requirements to volunteer?

    For the adult program, volunteers must be 18 years of age and not currently enrolled in high school. The minimum commitment for adult volunteers is a weekly (every other week for weekend positions) 2-4 hour shift for 6 consecutive months.

  • Is there a volunteer program for teenagers in high school?

    For those who are 18 and under and still in high school, there is a summer VolunTEEN program. Applications for this program open in March. Check our website in late February or the beginning of March for information and important deadlines.

  • Can I volunteer to complete court-mandated community service hours?

    Unfortunately, no. If you are needing this type of volunteer hours, please check opportunities at www.voly.org.

  • How long does it take to onboard as a volunteer?

    This depends on you! To begin as a volunteer you will need to: 1. Apply 2. Do an online interview 3. Complete online trainings 4. Attend a welcome session 5. Complete a visit with our Occupational Health department to turn in the required medical documents Once you complete all these steps, you will be able to begin as a volunteer!

  • What are the vaccine requirements, and are there any exemptions?

    We ask volunteers to turn in records of (2) MMR vaccines and (2) Varicella vaccines or to get a titer (blood test) to prove immunity to these diseases. Volunteers must have a current Tdap vaccine done within the past 10 years as well as an annual seasonal flu vaccine. Lastly, we ask volunteers to receive a titer for Hepatitis B to see if they are immune. If the titer comes back that they are not immune, they must either receive the vaccine series or sign a declination. We do not offer exemptions to any of these requirements.

  • What positions are available to me?

    We have positions in over 30 different areas of the hospital. Openings are constantly changing. We have positions in 3 categories: patient support, patient experience, and community relations. Talk to your coordinator about what you are interested in so they can let you know of available opportunities which would be a good fit for you and your schedule.

  • Can I be a baby cuddler?

    We do have a position called a NICU Patient Pal with some of our smallest patients, however, positions are limited, and openings do not occur often. We ask volunteers to serve at least six months as Patient Pals, then they can be added to the waitlist to be in the NICU if they desire. We also have numerous other positions working with our amazing patients!

  • Can I bring my dog to the hospital to volunteer with me?

    We do have a pet therapy program! Our pet therapy volunteers must be registered through either Paws Across Texas or Pet Partners. Once you are registered as a team through one of these organizations, you can apply as pet therapy volunteers at Children's!

  • Can my group come in to volunteer?

    Groups may participate in a variety of activities. They may host their own event by going to https://give.childrens.com/get-involved/event-calendar, or they are able to donate much-needed items (to see items currently needed, please visit https://give.childrens.com/ways-to-give/donate/gift-in-kind).

  • Can I observe a clinician?

    While housed under the Volunteer Services department, observing is separate from volunteering. If you are interested in observing, you must find a clinician you are interested in observing and have them approve your observation. Once you get approval, Volunteer Services will process your application to the Observer Program. Note: The Observer Program is geared for students over the age of 18 who have completed high school as well as other adults interested in learning about careers within health care. This program excludes medical school and dental school students as well as licensed healthcare professionals. Observers are strictly at the hospital to observe. Observers are limited to 14 days of observation completed within a 30-day period each year.