QUESTIONS ARE PART OF PREPARATION

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WHAT IS POKEPALS?

Poke Pals™ is a hands-on medical-preparation program for children.

Children explore medical materials, practice communication and coping, and become familiar with parts of common healthcare experiences before an actual procedure is required.

Poke Pals also provides caregiver resources and education for organizations serving children.

DOES POKE PALS PERFORM BLOOD DRAWS OR OTHER MEDICAL PROCEDURES?

No.

Poke Pals workshops do not include needles, blood draws, injections, medication administration, diagnostic testing, or invasive procedures.

The program provides education, exploration, and preparation—not medical care.

IS POKE PALS THERAPY OR ABA TREATMENT?

No.

Poke Pals is not psychotherapy, occupational therapy, behavior-analytic treatment, or another clinical service.

The program is informed by pediatric laboratory and behavioral-support experience, but participation is educational and does not replace care from a child’s qualified healthcare professionals.

IS POKEPALS ONLY FOR BLOOD DRAWS?

Blood collection is the program’s original and primary area of expertise, but many preparation principles may also be useful when approaching vaccinations, routine examinations, dental care, imaging, and other unfamiliar medical experiences.

Workshop content and materials may vary by event.

DOES MY CHILD NEED A DIAGNOSIS?

No.

PokePals is designed for children who may benefit from more preparation, predictability, communication, or sensory support. A diagnosis is not required.

WHAT AGES CAN PARTICIPATE?

Specific age ranges may vary depending on the workshop format, materials, location, and safety requirements.

Each event announcement will identify the intended age range and any participation considerations.

DO CAREGIVERS REMAIN WITH THEIR CHILDREN?

Yes.

PokePals is not a drop-off program or childcare service. A parent or responsible caregiver remains present and responsible for the child throughout the workshop.

WHAT IF MY CHILD DOES NOT WANT TO COMPLETE A STATION?

Children may observe, participate, pause, or decline an activity.

They are not required to complete every station or demonstrate a particular level of cooperation. Participation can look different for every child.

ARE THE MATERIALS SAFE FOR CHILDREN TO HANDLE?

Poke Pals uses child-safe preparation materials selected for supervised educational exploration.

Children do not handle sharps, medications, biological materials, or equipment intended to pierce the skin.

WILL A WORKSHOP GUARANTEE THAT MY CHILD’S NEXT PROCEDURE IS SUCCESSFUL?

No.

Preparation may increase familiarity and help a child develop communication and coping options, but PokePals cannot guarantee that a future procedure will be completed or that a child will not experience fear or distress.

The workshop provides a safer opportunity to practice. It is not a test or promise of future performance.

HOW MUCH DOES A WORKSHOP COST?

Poke Pals is working toward a partnership-supported model in which pediatric practices, healthcare organizations, sponsors, or grants fund workshops so participating families do not pay directly.

Cost and funding information will be clearly stated for each workshop. The first pediatric-practice pilot will be provided at no cost to the practice and participating families.

WHEN AND WHERE IS THE NEXT WORKSHOP?

No public workshop is currently scheduled.

Poke Pals is seeking its first pediatric-practice pilot partner. New workshop information will be posted when dates and locations are confirmed.

CAN MY PEDIATRIC PRACTICE OR ORGANIZATION HOST POKE PALS?

Yes.

Pediatric practices, healthcare organizations, laboratories, schools, and community programs may inquire about hosting or supporting a workshop.

Visit the For Organizations page to learn about the pilot and partnership options.

CAN AN ORGANIZATION SPONSOR WORKSHOPS FOR FAMILIES?

Yes.

Sponsor support can help cover workshop materials, facilitation, space, and program costs so families can participate without paying directly.

Sponsorship arrangements and appropriate recognition are discussed individually.

DOES POKE PALS OFFER INDIVIDUALIZED MEDICAL ADVICE?

No.

Poke Pals provides general educational preparation. Questions about a child’s health, pain management, medication, procedure safety, or individualized clinical needs should be directed to qualified healthcare professionals.

WHAT ARE POKE PALS STORYBOARDS?

Poke Pals storyboards use simple visuals and predictable language to introduce the steps of common healthcare experiences.

Because procedures and clinical settings differ, families should compare any storyboard with accurate information from the child’s healthcare team and adapt it when necessary.

I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. WHOM SHOULD I CONTACT?

Email franchesca@pokepalskids.com. Questions from families, potential host practices, organizations, and sponsors are welcome.

FOUNDER OF POKEPALS

Franchesca Kelly is an ASCP-certified pediatric phlebotomist, Medical Laboratory Assistant, Registered Behavior Technician, writer, speaker, and researcher.

She has more than nine years of pediatric blood-collection experience and works directly with neurodivergent children in behavioral and special-education settings.

Across those environments, she repeatedly encountered the same gap:

Healthcare professionals were trained to perform procedures, but children were not always given enough opportunity to understand, explore, communicate, and prepare before being expected to participate.

Poke Pals grew from the intersection of those experiences.

The program brings pediatric laboratory knowledge and behavioral-support principles into one child-centered preparation experience—without turning preparation into therapy or asking children to prove that they can comply.

Franchesca’s work has appeared in Contemporary Pediatrics, Clinical Lab Products, and ASCP Critical Values. She speaks to healthcare, laboratory, education, and school-health audiences about pediatric diagnostic access, medical trauma, procedural preparation, and the children our systems fail to count.

Her related research initiative, Access Before Analysis™, examines what happens when an ordered pediatric blood test never produces a specimen.

WHY POKE PALS EXISTS

Clinical skill matters.

But even excellent clinical skill cannot replace preparation a child never received.

Poke Pals™ exists to give children time to encounter medical information and materials before the moment they are expected to tolerate a procedure.

It also exists to help pediatric practices, healthcare organizations, and communities recognize that preparation is part of access—not an optional extra families should have to discover and purchase on their own.