Visiting Hours and Guidelines

Last Updated: Dec. 30, 2024

Visiting Hours

At Children's National Hospital, parents and guardians can be with their child 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All other visitors can see patients from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (may vary by unit).

Visiting Guidelines

Visitor Screening. To protect our patients, staff and others, any individual who suspects they are sick or have symptoms associated with any infectious illness (including COVID-19) should not visit.
Mask Policy. Masking is optional at all of our facilities.
Outpatient Appointments (including the Emergency Department (ED)). It is preferred that no more than two (2) people accompany each patient to an outpatient appointment or ED visit.
Primary Care Appointments. It is preferred that no more than two (2) people accompany a patient to any of our Primary Care locations.
Inpatient Stays.

At the time of admission, four (4) people (including parents and guardians) can be identified to visit a patient admitted to the hospital in the PICU and NICU. In other care locations, visitors do not need to be designated.
Parents or guardians can either designate/modify visitors at the time of registration or by speaking with the nurse or social worker in the unit.
Bedside guidelines: There is a 4 visitor maximum at the bedside for patients, with the exception of our Intensive Care Units (ICUs), Adolescent and Child Psychiatry Unit, and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit where there is a 2 visitor bedside limit.
All visitors must check in with the nurses or social workers on the child’s unit to be sure patients and their families have agreed that the patient can have visitors. Please ask about the visiting hours and rules on the unit.

Sibling/Minor Visitation. Siblings/minors under 18 years of age may visit, but must be supervised by an adult at all times. Siblings/minors visiting our PICU, NICU, CICU, HKU and BMT must be at least 10 years old. Siblings/minors younger than 18 years old cannot spend the night.
Patients with, or suspected to have, COVID-19. The visitation for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection is limited to two (2) designated people.

Please read the specifics below, as we continue to evaluate and adjust the visitor policy to ensure the safety of patients, families and staff.

Lactation and Consult Rooms

Nursing parents are welcome to breastfeed anywhere that they are comfortable at Children’s National. In addition, our main campus offers two lactation rooms available for outpatient families for nursing or for small, private family meetings. These are separate from the family rooms, and are located on 3 East near the Heart and Kidney Unit. No scheduling is required.

Electronic Security Screening

Security Screening

Children’s National Hospital has security screening in place to keep our patients, their families and our employees safe. At our main campus and UMC Emergency Department location, we have electronic security screening in place.

Visitors will walk through the screening system at a regular pace. There is no need to remove items such as phones, wallets and/or keys. Visitors may want to remove eyeglass cases, umbrellas and/or laptops prior to walking through. Security personnel may ask visitors to participate in additional screening after they pass through the system.

The following items are not permitted at any Children’s National Hospital location:

Weapons
Drugs, including:
- Marijuana
- Alcohol
- The use of tobacco/vaping products

Is the Evolv system safe for people with an implanted or wearable medical device?

Is the security system safe?

Is the Evolv system safe for pregnant people?

Additional Information for Visitors

Using the Elevators at Children's National

Children’s National uses an Elevator Destination system. This system enables visitors to enter the floor they are traveling to, and the elevator system will alert them to which elevator cab will be traveling to their destination. This system enhances our visitor’s experience by enabling patients, families and visitors traveling to destinations in our main building to reach their floor in a more efficient and timely manner.

This dispatching system directs passengers to the elevator that will get them to their destination with the shortest travel time. By grouping people together based on the floor they are traveling to, the number of stops are reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of the building's elevators. There are two touch screens located at the Costco Wholesale Atrium elevator bank, and touch screens are located at every floor in the main building. If you have questions about using the elevator system, please see the Welcome Desk.

Please help us fight infection

It’s important to help fight the spread of infection. All visitors should:

Clean your hands thoroughly before and after you visit a patient. Also clean your hands before touching or eating food, after you use the bathroom and after you sneeze or cough, especially if you have covered your mouth with your hands. Remember, hand washing is the single best way to prevent the spread of infection. All visitors are welcome to use any sink or waterless gel dispenser to clean hands at any time.
If your hands are visibly dirty, it is best to use soap and hot water, and to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. If hands are not visibly dirty, you can either wash with soap and water or use waterless gel. Waterless gel is available for your use throughout the hospital. You can find wall units of gel throughout the units, at the nurse stations and in patient rooms. It is best to rub your hands together with the gel for at least 20 seconds or until the gel is gone.
Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Use tissues, throw them away and then clean your hands. If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or elbow. If you use your hands to cover your sneeze or cough, wash them right away with soap and water or use waterless gel if soap and water are not easily available.

Please Help Us Keep a Safe and Healthy Environment

If you are sick, please do not visit, unless you are the parent or guardian and must come to the hospital to get care for your child. This helps us prevent the spread of illness to other patients, families and our employees. If you are sick and must be here to get care for your child, please let the Welcome Desk or a nurse on your child’s unit know.
Children’s National is a smoke-free environment. Smoking is not permitted inside the hospital and is not permitted anywhere on the hospital campus. Additionally, smoking is not permitted in any of Children’s specialty care locations or in any of Children’s clinics.
Alcohol and drugs are not permitted in the hospital.
Please leave electrical equipment, such as hair dryers and radios, at home.
You may use cell phones and wireless devices throughout the hospital. Please keep conversations quiet to respect other patients and families.
You may not use camera phones or other cameras to take pictures within the hospital; this is to protect the privacy of others.
If family or friends want to send gifts, flowers or mylar balloons (no latex balloons) to a patient, they must order from an outside vendor. Items can be sent to the hospital’s address (111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20010) with the patient’s name and room number.
Please keep valuables at home. We try to maintain a secure environment, but cannot guarantee the security of valuables left in waiting areas, playrooms or patient rooms.

Tours

COVID-19 Family and Caregiver Visitation Policy

Important Information for Parents and Caregivers Who May Have Been Exposed to COVID-19

Parents/caregivers who are sick with COVID-19 may not visit the hospital while still infectious, which is at least 10 days from the first symptom(s).
Parents/caregivers who have been exposed to COVID-19 should not visit until 10 days from the last exposure, whenever possible. If one must visit within 10 days after the exposure, please notify your child’s care team. During the visit, one must wear a mask in all areas of the hospital, including in your child’s room and at the bedside. If one becomes sick with COVID-19, do not visit while still infectious, which is at least 10 days from the first symptom(s).

Mask Policy for Visitors

Hospital Visiting Hours

Inpatient Stays

Children's National Hospital inpatient visitors for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19:

Limited to two (2) designated people.

Children's National Hospital inpatient visitors for patients without COVID-19:

At the time of admission parents or caregiver can designated up to four (4) individuals who may visit the patient during their inpatient stay - only two (2) may be at the bedside at a time.
Sibling Visitation: Siblings under 18 years of age may visit, but must be supervised by an adult at all times. Siblings younger than 18 years old cannot spend the night.
Any individual experiencing symptoms associated with any infectious illness are not allowed to visit.

Children's National Hospital and its affiliates do not restrict or deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

A Note for Our Visitors

Children's National is a No Hit Zone

Just like you, we want your child to reach their fullest potential. Children's National supports a violence-free campus and prioritizes safety among staff, patients and visitors. Our No Hit Zone relates to violence of any kind, including interactions among parents/caretakers, colleagues, families and our employees.

Learn how we're supporting safety