The Team
Who We Are
About Us
Meet the Team
Randi Jaffe, CCLS
Owner & Child Life Specialist
Randi Jaffe is Certified Child Life Specialist and the owner of Kid Cope Specialists. Throughout her career working in pediatric hospitals and charities, Randi’s passion has always been directly supporting pediatric patients and their families. Randi is now directing that passion towards helping families in her community.
Kid Cope Specialists was developed in 2017 after Randi became a mom, took a leave from working at NYU Langone Medical Center, and recognized a gap in service in her own community. Being armed with a strong background in child development and child life training provided her with the ability to confidently support and advocate for her own child and gave her the desire to help others. She saw children and families unprepared for many of life’s challenges — medical and dental fears, life transitions, separation anxiety, sickness or death of a family member... She recognized a need for child life supportive services and felt there was an opportunity to provide children and families with coping tools to better prepare them for life’s difficult moments.
With 16 years experience working with pediatric patients and families, Randi is confident in her ability to offer individualized treatment plans to any challenging circumstance that she may encounter.
Professional Experience
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Certified Child Life Specialist – Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ
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Certified Child Life Specialist – NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY
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Child Life Intern – Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ
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Family Support Case Manager – Friends of Karen, New York, NY
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Family Liaison – Embrace Kids Foundation, New Brunswick, NJ
Jessica Goldberg, MPH, CCLS
Child Life Specialist
Jessica is a seasoned child life specialist working in NYC and the surrounding areas. With a background in both hospital and private practice experience, Jessica passionately provides children and families with the tools and confidence to overcome medical challenges. She enjoys finding innovative ways to make medical environments and procedures adaptable and supportive to children dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorders.
Jessica specializes in preparing children and families for common life challenges, such as routine vaccinations, blood draws, pill swallowing, dental visits, and well-visits at the pediatrician. Jessica has helped children of all ages gain mastery with routine vaccinations through medical play and individualized coping plans. She also specializes in preparing children and families for upcoming surgeries and medical procedures, detailing what to expect, how best to advocate for individualized needs, and how to get through the process seamlessly.
Jessica Parise, MS, CCLS
Child Life Specialist
Jessica is an experienced child life specialist supporting children in Bergen, Essex, Union, Hudson, Passaic (NJ), Rockland and Lower Westchester counties (NY). She is passionate about helping kids and their families navigate hospitalization, illness, injury, bereavement, and social challenges. Currently, Jessica works as the Child Life Program Supervisor at a hospital in NYC, supporting children facing orthopedic and rheumatologic diagnoses and surgeries. Previously, Jessica spent ten years at a pediatric sub-acute rehabilitation hospital supporting children on post-NICU and PICU units. Jessica enjoys the work of building rapport and coping strategies with kids, helping them to overcome fears and conquer challenging situations.
Vanessa Finnerty, MS, CCLS
Child Life Specialist
Vanessa is a highly trained child life specialist supporting children & families in southern Connecticut (Fairfield and New Haven counties). Vanessa finds joy in helping kids and families navigate challenges and finding ways to cope with difficult experiences. Through her work, Vanessa ensures families feel a sense of trust surrounding what could otherwise be a traumatic or scary experience.
Vanessa’s vast experience stretches across multiple specialities, including primary care, a burn center, child abuse clinic, supporting children children of adult patients, a sleep center CPAP clinic, and more! Vanessa holds an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master's degree in child life.
