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What began as a dream in the early 1980s became a reality in June 1990 when President and Mrs. George H. W. Bush and other dignitaries presided at the opening of The Children's Inn at NIH. The Inn was the dream-come-true of the families of sick children at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the vision of many concerned individuals. They dreamed of a place where families could be with their children while they were being treated at NIH, a place where they would not have the hardships, isolation and expense of living in a hotel. In 1987, NIH set aside two acres of land within walking distance of the NIH Clinical Center. Merck & Co., Inc. donated $3.7 million to build the facility. Several congressional spouses formed The Friends of The Children's Inn and raised $2 million to furnish the residence. With the establishment of The Children's Inn at NIH as a private, tax-exempt nonprofit corporation, a public-private partnership was born. In May 2004, The Inn proudly opened its expansion, doubling its square footage and making room for 22 additional families. Driven by the success of the partnership between NIH, The Inn and private donors, the expansion reflects an increase in the number of pediatric patients that NIH researchers enroll in groundbreaking medical protocols that bring hope to children everywhere. Merck Company Foundation provided the lead capital gift, with other generous donors supporting the expansion. Since The Children's Inn opened its doors in 1990, more than 10,000 children from all over the United States and 82 countries have called The Inn home.
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