Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What does it cost for a family to stay at The Inn?

A: There are no costs to families staying at the Inn. A private non-profit, The Inn raises funds to meet its operational needs.

Q: Do just the parents stay at The Inn while the children stay in the hospital?

A: The entire family can stay at The Inn. Medical treatments are given at the Clinical Center during the day, then families return to The Inn for the evening.

Inn families can be made up of one or more parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles. When parents aren't available to bring a child to NIH, a resident may be accompanied by aunts, uncles, grandparents, foster parents or other guardians as well as their siblings.

Q: How many families can The Inn accommodate?

A: The Inn provides housing for 59 families each night. It also has three communal kitchens and dining areas, a game room, teen room, arts and crafts studio, multi-purpose room, play room, kids' computer room, library, exercise room, gathering rooms, living rooms, business center, volunteer lounge, playground and garden.

Q: How many families stay at The Inn each year?

A: More than 1,400 families stay at The Inn each year, averaging 3.5 nights per visit. Depending on the child's treatment plan, a family may stay at the The Inn for up to four months, sometimes longer. Children and families come from all 50 states, the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and Guam and from 65 foreign countries such as Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Great Britain, Guatemala, Iraq and Venezuela.

Q: What types of diseases are the children being treated for at NIH?

A: Children participated in research protocols being conducted in 13 of the 23 NIH institutes as follows (in order of
frequency):

  • National Cancer Institute
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • National Institute of Mental Health
  • National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
  • National Human Genome Research Institute
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
  • National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disorders
  • National Eye Institute
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
  • National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Q: Do you accept donations of toys and gifts for the children?

A: Yes, we do. The Inn accepts new, unused toys, books and games for the children. During the holidays, we ask that gifts not be wrapped to make it easier for staff and volunteers to give age-appropriate and interest items to the children. We also accept non-perishable food items for our pantries. To see a complete list of our on-going needs, please check out our Wish List.