St. Vincent Children’s Hospital Services Child Life Meet the Team

Meet the Team

HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital has a dedicated team of full-time child life specialists, interns, students and volunteers.

Colleen Peebles - Child Life Manager

Peebles grew up in La Crosse and was a Boston nanny before returning to Madison to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Life at Edgewood College. From there, she headed back to Boston to serve as an intern at the Boston Floating Hospital for Children. She earned a Master’s Degree in Human Development at Wheelock College in Boston. Peebles taught Child Life at her alma mater for four years and joined Prevea in 2002. She is a member of the Association of Child Life Professionals.

Ashley Thompson - Child Life Supervisor

Thompson, a Waupun native, majored in human development at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with a minor in psychology. She volunteered at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in the Child Life program before going to Marshfield Clinic and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield for her internship. She joined Prevea in April 2007 and is member of the Association of Child Life Professionals.

Kailee Hanson

Kailee, a Randolph native, majored in Psychology and Exercise Science at Caroll University. She volunteered at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and American Family Children’s Hospital before completing her internship at HSHS St. Vincent. She joined Prevea in October 2016 and is a member of the Association of Child Life Professionals.

Lauren Vanden Heuvel

Vanden Heuvel grew up in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. She attended Edgewood College in Madison and majored in Child Life with a minor in psychology. She volunteered at American Family Children’s Hospital and completed her practicum and internship at St. Vincent Hospital. She joined St. Vincent Children’s Hospital’s Child Life program in Nov. 2016 and is a member of the Association of Child Life Professionals.

Caitlin Kapp

Caitlin grew up in Neenah, Wisconsin. She attended Edgewood College and double majored in Child life and Studies in Education. She volunteered at American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin and completed her practicum at Camp M.A.S.H, a camp for children with Juvenile Arthritis. She joined St. Vincent Children's Hospital in January 2020 after completing her internship with us in the fall of 2019.

Sophie Smith

Sophie grew up in Eldorado, Wisconsin. She attended the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and majored in Family and Consumer Sciences with and emphasis in Child Life and Family Studies. She volunteered and completed one of her practicums at Marshfield Children's Hospital. Her second practicum was completed at Community PedsCare: Hospice and Palliative Care in Jacksonville, FL. She completed her internship at Lutheran Children's Hospital in Fort Wayne, IN. She joined St. Vincent Children's Hospital in Aug. 2021 and is a member of the Association of Child Life Professionals.