© 2000 by Oxford University Press
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 92, No. 9, 688,
May 3, 2000
© 2000 Oxford University Press
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Children’s Inn Celebrates 10th Anniversary
In the early 1980s, families of sick children at the National Institutes of Health envisioned a place where they could stay after a long day of treatment, free of the seclusion and expense of a motel room. Persistent in making such a place reality, they joined with others who shared their vision—caregivers, community members, and Philip Pizzo, M.D., former chief of the Pediatric Oncology Branch at the National Cancer Institute.
Their effort paid off. In 1987, NIH set aside two acres of land within walking distance of its Clinical Center for a Children’s Inn. Merck & Co. Inc. donated $3.7 million to build it, and volunteers and congressional spouses formed the "Friends of The Children’s Inn" and raised $2 million to furnish the facility.
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The Inn will recognize its 10th anniversary on June 4. Since its opening it has housed 4,000 sick children, the majority of whom have been cancer patients, and their families.
The Inn has 37 private living quarters, each with two double beds and a private bath. There are also a number of common rooms shared by families, including two communal kitchens and dining rooms where families prepare meals and socialize. Younger children staying at the Inn can play in the large playroom filled with toys and activities while the older children and adults hang out in the game room. A library and computer room provide children a quiet place to do homework or chat with their friends online, and a TV room provides the opportunity to relax.
Unlike at the hundreds of other hospital hospitality houses throughout the country, families are not charged a fee to stay at the Inn. They purchase and cook their own meals and clean up after themselves.
Operating as a nonprofit corporation, the Children’s Inn works within a public–private partnership. NIH provides 18% of the Inn’s annual $1.2 million operating budget; individuals, businesses, foundations, and community organizations supply the rest. More than 35,000 people have contributed to the Inn.
About 300 volunteers complement the eight-member paid staff. Supporters of the Children’s Inn have many aspirations for the future of the program. "We are currently conducting a feasibility study on the possibility of expanding the facility to house additional children and their families," said Gil Brown, executive director of the Children’s Inn. Thus far, the Inn has had only minor structural improvements, and 2 years ago, the handicap accessibility was upgraded.
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