Child Life Program

Erin Roseborough is the MIND Institute’s first Child Life Specialist. She attended California State University, Sacramento and received her degree in Child Development. Erin completed her Child Life Internship with UC Davis Children's Hospital. She began her career at Methodist Hospital, later working at Shriners Children’s Hospital. She joined the staff of the MIND Institute as its first Child Life Specialist in the fall of 2003, starting the volunteer and Child Life Program. She has created children's programs here such as Sibling Support Group, Camp MIND, Family Time at the MIND, Volunteer Appreciation and the Annual Thank You Party.  Erin strives to reduce the negative impact of stressful or traumatic life events and situations that affect the development, health and well-being of infants, children, youth and families.

Veronica is a Certified Child Life Specialist with experience in child development, education, therapeutic intervention, healthcare, community engagement and program development. She completed her undergraduate studies in Child Development and Counseling at California State University, Sacramento and received her Master’s in Child Life at the University of La Verne. She completed her clinical internship at Yale and has previously worked as a CCLS for the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, specializing in surgical and outpatient care. She is dedicated and passionate about combining theoretical knowledge with compassion, advocacy, social engagement and innovation to elevate programming and support for children at the MIND Institute. In addition to her Child Life role, she serves as Coordinator for the Volunteer Program at the MIND Institute and continues to provide support to hospitalized children both inpatient and outpatient outside of the MIND Institute.

After graduating from Sacramento State University with a B.A. in Psychology in 2017, Nicki Rodriguez has been dedicated to helping families, particularly marginalized Spanish-speaking families, to build a sense of community and support. Her passion for assisting families led her to work in various roles, such as the Program Coordinator for Social Skills, ACCESS Program (Acquiring Career, Coping, Executive-Function, and Social Skills), ADHD Parent Education Workshop, ECHO Autismo/Autism, and the Child Life Program at the UC Davis MIND Institute. Her experience with the MIND Institute's Child Life Program has had a profound impact on her, as she saw firsthand the challenges that Spanish-speaking families face in accessing the necessary support and services. This experience has further motivated her to pursue a career in Child Life, where she can contribute her skills and knowledge to better serve and support these families in need.