Oct 1, 2026 · 35 min · 13 segments
In this conversation, child life specialists Adrianna Ortega and Francine Gamez discuss the unique challenges and cultural considerations when providing support to Latin families facing illness. They…
So one of the things that I would also like to highlight is how important is it that the spaces that we use to provide support be representative of the culture of our Hispanic or Latin families?
So I've been taking my children to the same dentist's office, you know, since they were two or whenever.
And the entire population that is seen within this dentist's office are people of color.
However, all of the artwork that is on the walls, every single photograph are these beautiful, beautiful blonde, blue-eyed babies.
I know that as everybody who walks into that waiting space, They look around and they don't see themselves.
Like, who are these random babies that are on this wall? And so I have always been, you know, very aware of that within our own spaces at Wonders and Worries.
And so it is really, really important that, first of all, signage, that it comes in multiple languages, right? Because we know that we are seeing quite a few Spanish speakers.
We want to make sure that the artwork represent all different kinds of families and not families that just look one way.
Even looking at things like the children's books that are in our waiting area for, you know, when siblings are in the playroom with me and other siblings are waiting out in the area.
You know, we have books about Frida Kahlo and Pele the soccer player and, you know, obviously books in English and Spanish.
And all of those things go a really, really long way to help those families know that they do belong in our spaces.
Obviously, when we're trying to build a connection with these families and we want them to trust us and all of that tells them that we really are here for them and not just certain types of families.
So one of the things that I would also like to highlight is how important is it that the spaces that we use to provide support be representative of the culture of our Hispanic or Latin families?
So I've been taking my children to the same dentist's office, you know, since they were two or whenever.
And the entire population that is seen within this dentist's office are people of color.
However, all of the artwork that is on the walls, every single photograph are these beautiful, beautiful blonde, blue-eyed babies.
I know that as everybody who walks into that waiting space, They look around and they don't see themselves.
Like, who are these random babies that are on this wall? And so I have always been, you know, very aware of that within our own spaces at Wonders and Worries.
And so it is really, really important that, first of all, signage, that it comes in multiple languages, right? Because we know that we are seeing quite a few Spanish speakers.
We want to make sure that the artwork represent all different kinds of families and not families that just look one way.
Even looking at things like the children's books that are in our waiting area for, you know, when siblings are in the playroom with me and other siblings are waiting out in the area.
You know, we have books about Frida Kahlo and Pele the soccer player and, you know, obviously books in English and Spanish.
And all of those things go a really, really long way to help those families know that they do belong in our spaces.
Obviously, when we're trying to build a connection with these families and we want them to trust us and all of that tells them that we really are here for them and not just certain types of families.
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