iMPact
Grounded in Science, Centered on families
At The Breath Between, impact is measured not only in moments of calm for parents, but in the ripple effects those moments create—on children’s wellbeing, family stability, and the hospital ecosystem itself.
Decades of research affirm what parents and clinicians already sense at the bedside: a caregiver’s wellbeing directly shapes a child’s trajectory. Studies in Pediatrics, the Journal of Child Health Care, and Hospital Pediatrics demonstrate that when parents are supported in managing stress, children experience better treatment adherence, reduced anxiety, and improved long-term psychological outcomes. Supported parents also communicate more effectively with hospital teams, building the trust and collaboration that underpin family-centered care and improving experiences for families and clinical staff alike.
The Breath Between exists to bridge the gap between empirical evidence—demonstrating the profound impact that well-resourced and supported parents have on their children's quality of life—and its practical application in pediatric care. Our model integrates both psychosocial and pragmatic support systems to comprehensively address the diverse needs of parents:
Calming Kits – grounding tools, aromatherapy, tactile fidgets, and reflective journals that parents can access in the moment of stress.
Guided Meditations – professionally developed and written specifically for parents navigating the realities of hospitalization and complex care.
Meal Vouchers – partnerships with hospitals to ensure parents have reliable access to meals during inpatient and day hospital stays. Research shows that food insecurity among families with hospitalized children is common, and that even modest support for nutrition can significantly reduce parental stress and sustain their ability to remain present at the bedside.
Together, these interventions affirm a simple truth: parental wellbeing is foundational to pediatric health. By integrating evidence-based practices with practical supports like food access, The Breath Between is laying the groundwork for a national initiative that ensures no parent faces the hospital environment unsupported, unseen, or alone.
Why Parents matter
Parents are not merely observers of their child’s medical journey—they are integral participants whose emotional wellbeing and resilience shape the overall environment of care. When parents are well-supported and have access to necessary resources, their ability to remain grounded amid fear and uncertainty is strengthened which significantly influences a child’s capacity to tolerate treatment, engage in recovery, and cope with the psychological burden of illness.
Supporting parental wellbeing, therefore, is not a secondary concern—it is a foundational element of pediatric healthcare. At The Breath Between we believe that children thrive within the context of their relationships. A calm, supported parent helps co-regulate their child’s stress, mitigates the impact of traumatic experiences, and enhances adherence to treatment plans. Their presence goes beyond offering comfort; it becomes a powerful therapeutic force that can facilitate both physical and emotional healing.
The ripple effect of parental wellbeing extends throughout the hospital ecosystem. Parents who feel emotionally resourced are better equipped to collaborate effectively with clinical teams. They are more able to process complex medical information, ask meaningful questions, and engage in shared decision-making without being overwhelmed by stress. This leads to clearer communication, reduced conflict, and stronger trust between families and providers. As a result, clinical teams experience less strain and greater alignment with the families they serve—further strengthening the quality and cohesion of care delivery.
By recognizing and elevating parents as essential partners in the care process—not just as caregivers, but as vital contributors to the therapeutic environment—hospitals foster a culture where children can thrive, families feel empowered, and healthcare providers are supported in delivering care that is both effective and compassionate.
What the Research shows
A growing body of peer-reviewed research affirms that parental wellbeing is not ancillary—it is central to the experience of pediatric healthcare. Evidence demonstrates three key truths:
Supporting parents’ wellbeing is an end in itself. Parents of medically involved children experience chronic stress and PTSD compounded by ongoing trauma, often leaving them depleted, isolated, and emotionally dysregulated. Prioritizing their emotional health is essential for their own healing and capacity to endure the prolonged demands of caregiving. Research also demonstrates that addressing families’ basic needs—including food insecurity during hospital stays—is directly tied to parental mental health. Studies have shown that food-insecure caregivers report higher stress, poorer emotional health, and barriers to remaining present with their child at the bedside.
Parental wellbeing improves children’s health trajectories. Studies confirm that calm, supported parents are linked to better treatment adherence, faster recovery, and lower risk of post-traumatic stress symptoms in their children.
Supported parents strengthen the hospital ecosystem. When parents feel resourced and grounded, they engage more effectively with clinical teams, improving communication, trust, and shared decision-making—creating a healthier environment for both their families and the hospital’s staff.
The studies below provide the evidence base that anchors The Breath Between’s mission.
In the interest of parents
When parents are able regulate their stress through mindfulness, meditation, counseling, or other coping strategies they experience lower anxiety, better resilience, and more emotional stability during their child’s care journey. Please find key evidence points below:
Parents of children with serious illness who completed stress management programs reported lower depression, anxiety, and stress. (Zhou et al., 2024)
Mindfulness-based parenting groups for parents of children with cystic fibrosis led to clinically significant reductions in maternal anxiety and depression. (Harris et al., 2021)
Resilience training for parents of children with cancer improved coping, meaning-making, and overall resilience. (Rosenberg et al., 2019, JAMA Netw Open)
Qualitative Study of Food Insecurity in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic (King, Molina, Hannah& Bateman, 2024)
Rural and Urban Caregiver experiences of financial strain and food insecurity during pediatric hospitalizations (Granberg, n.d.)
Feed First Ask Questions later: Alleviating and understanding caregiver food insecurity in an urban children’s hospital (Makelarski, Thorngran & Lindau, 2015)
2. in the interest of children
Preterm infants whose parents practiced mindful caregiving were discharged from the NICU significantly faster than the infants of parents that were not actively practicing mindfulness (Petteys et al., 2018)
Children with Type 1 Diabetes had improved blood sugar control (lower HbA1c) when mothers received stress-management training. (Saghaei et al., 2017)
Children with advanced cancer experienced less fatigue, better mood, and higher quality of life scores when parents engaged in a stress-reduction/palliative support program. (Dussel et al., 2024)
Across 23 trials, children of parents in stress-management interventions had fewer emotional problems and higher quality of life. (Zhou et al., 2024)
3. in the interest of the Hospital Ecosystem
When parents are calmer and more emotionally stable, the entire hospital environment improves — not just for families, but for the clinicians who care for them.
Parent stress-management interventions improved both parent–provider communication and satisfaction. (Kodjebacheva et al., 2016)
High parental distress predicts more conflict with clinicians; regulated parents support smoother decision-making. (October et al., 2016)
Unresolved family–team conflict contributes to clinician moral distress and burnout; calmer parents reduce this load. (Spijkers et al., 2022)
Higher parental trust in staff is linked to lower stress and better adherence to care plans. (Mause et al., 2022)
Family-centered NICU interventions showed greater mutual trust and a more collaborative atmosphere between staff and parents. (Toivonen et al., 2020)
These findings underscore a a simple truth: supporting parental wellbeing is not a soft tool, but a rigorously evidenced intervention that strengthens families, improves child outcomes and enhances the clinical environment itself. The research base is clear, and the implications for health systems are profound. For a full list of peer reviewed studies with citations and direct links, please see the comprehensive reference brief linked below.
