Children's Inn at NIH TCI

Mission

The Children's inn at NIH is "A Place Like Home" for children participating in leading-edge research studies at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Inn's mission is to provide a home to keep families together during their children's treatments, reduce stress, and facilitate healing through the mutual support of other families facing similar situations.

Programs

The Inn is a place where kids can be kids. After a long day of treatments and procedures, they leave behind the needles and doctors and return to The Inn. Here, they may participate in any of the more than 800 fun, educational, and therapeutic programs provided each year. There are three components of The Inn’s current services and activities. All services are provided free of charge.

Housing: The Children’s Inn provides a residence for pediatric patients (newborn to age 25) and their families who are receiving treatments at the National Institutes of Health for serious and life-threatening illnesses like heart, lung, blood, bone, and growth disorders, rare genetic conditions, and many forms of cancer. The Inn can provide housing and family support services for up to 59 families daily. The length of stay for families depends on the research study. Some families come for a day or two, others for weeks; some may return periodically throughout the year and for several years. The Inn is open and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

Resident Services: The Children’s Inn is a caring “place like home” where children can play, relax with their families, and experience a sense of normalcy during a difficult time. To help reduce stress and facilitate mutual support among families, The Children’s Inn provides the following to all families free of charge:
➢ Community kitchens and dining facilities
➢ Comfortable living, gathering, and activity areas
➢ Reflection Space
➢ Playrooms for children of varying ages
➢ Learning Center
➢ Business Center for caregivers
➢ Computer Room for children
➢ Exercise Room
➢ Therapeutic Garden
➢ Playground and Sport Court

Family Support Services: The overriding philosophy at The Children’s Inn is that families play a pivotal role in the lives of their sick children. To treat a child effectively, The Inn’s team must treat the child and family as one. Family Support Services at The Inn offer opportunities for fun, education and adventure, while also supporting the day-to-day needs of families. Favorite family activities include Tuesday Night Bingo, trips to local restaurants, and tours around the Washington, D.C. area. Parents appreciate the regularly scheduled trips to grocery stores and weekly trips to shopping malls provided by shuttle service. We currently offer more than 800 Family Support Programs each year, at no cost to families.

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