At Children’s Wisconsin, we help kids with feeding and nutrition challenges at every stage. Whether your child needs help eating by mouth or support with tube feeding, our team is here to guide you.

We offer two closely connected programs:

• The Feeding, Swallowing and Nutrition Program, which supports kids learning to eat safely and effectively by mouth
• The Enteral Feeding Program, which helps kids who need nutrition through feeding tubes

You’ll work with a team of experts, including:

• Doctors
• Nurse clinicians
• Registered dietitians
• Psychologists
• Speech-language pathologists

Everyone works together to build a plan that meets your child’s needs and your family’s goals. You are an important part of the team, and we’ll support you through each step.

Before Treatment: Your First Visit

Your child’s care begins with a full evaluation. At the first visit, you’ll meet with a doctor, nurse and dietitian. We’ll review your child’s medical history, feeding habits and growth. We may recommend tests like blood work or imaging.

At your second visit, your full care team may also include a psychologist and speech therapist. We’ll watch your child eat, talk about your goals and answer questions. Then we’ll create a plan together.

This may include feeding therapy, changes in diet or other medical support. Before you leave, you’ll get a written summary of the plan and clear next steps.

During Treatment: Putting the Plan into Action

Once we create a plan, we’ll help you put it into action. Most families start with outpatient visits. Some kids need more support and may benefit from a short stay for more focused care.

Types of treatment include:

• Outpatient therapy: Your child comes to regular visits while working on feeding goals at home.
• Intensive outpatient therapy: Your child attends several full or half-day sessions over three to five days. This is helpful if your child needs extra support or if you're coming from out of town.
• Inpatient therapy: Your child stays in the hospital for about two weeks for 24-hour care, daily therapy and family training. This is only needed if other treatments haven’t worked.

We track your child’s progress and adjust the plan as needed. You’ll get regular updates and support from the team.

After Treatment: Long-Term Follow-Up

After your child finishes treatment, we’ll keep checking in. Some kids reach a point where they no longer need therapy or tube feeding. Others need more time to grow their skills or manage health conditions.

We’ll help you know what to expect, including:

• Follow-up visits or phone check-ins
• Changes to your child’s feeding plan over time
• Support as your child transitions back to your regular care team

We’ll also give you tools to help your child stay on track at home. Our goal is to help your child eat well, grow strong and feel confident — now and in the future.

Choosing the right place for your child’s feeding care is a big decision. At Children’s Wisconsin, we bring together experts who understand feeding, nutrition and your family’s needs.

Care built around your child: We make a plan that fits your child’s needs and your family’s goals. Every plan is different because every child is different.

One team, working together: You’ll meet with a full team that includes a doctor, dietitian, speech therapist, psychologist and nurse. We all meet with you at the same time, in the same room.

Experts in complex care: We care for kids with many medical needs. Our team works with other experts at the hospital to make sure your child gets the safest, best care.

Families come from everywhere: We help families from all over the country. If you live far away, we’ll help you plan your visit and make it easier to get care.

Tube feeding support: Our Enteral Feeding Program helps kids who need feeding tubes. We support you with tube care, feeding help and therapy to build skills.

Care based on research: We lead and join research to improve feeding care. Our team helped create the first medical definition of pediatric feeding disorder and started a national group to share what we learn.

We speak up for families: Our team works to improve feeding care across the country. We help lead groups like Feeding Matters and push for better access and insurance support.

Inpatient program for tough cases: Some kids need care in the hospital to build skills and reduce tube feedings. We offer one of the few full day feeding programs in the country, with therapy and support for your whole family.

Specialists in pediatric nutrition: Our Nutritional Care Program helps children with growth and feeding challenges, from poor weight gain to intestinal failure. We use both medical and nutrition therapies to help your child grow and stay healthy.