Child Life Donation & Visitor Guidelines

Thank you for your support and generosity!

Each year our patients receive an outpouring of support from the community. Local businesses, schools, civic groups, entertainment groups and individuals provide toys, donations and entertainment. Our Child Life Wish List can help guide you.

Visitor Application

Visitor Application - Holiday Version for Visits between November 1 - January 5

Child Life Specialists coordinate as many group visitors as possible while still providing essential services to our patients. If you, or someone you know, are planning to generously offer your time, entertainment or donation, please read through the provided information.

Visitor Guidelines:

• Visits will take place in one of the pediatric playrooms.
• The size of the group is limited to no more than five (5) individuals, including all chaperones.
• All visitors in the group must be 14 years of age or older.
• All visitors should be free of contagious illness.
• Visits are limited to half an hour in length. Visitors are asked to arrive at their scheduled time.

Visits are available:

Donation Guidelines:

We are unable to accept the following gifts:

• Food or candy (due to dietary restrictions of some of our patients)
• Used stuffed animals, books and puzzles (children may be allergic to the dust or these items may pose an infection risk to patients)
• Latex balloons (they pose safety/choking hazard to the children)
• Live flowers or plants (due to potential soil contaminations)
• Items of a religious nature

Please review our donation wish list.

Please note the last day we can accept holiday donations is December 17th so we have time to organize the receipt of donations and because of limited on-site storage space.

Please leave donations at the admitting desk in the children’s hospital lobby.

Child Life Specialists coordinate as many group visitors as possible while still providing essential services to our patients. Please note that we are not able to accommodate people who drop in unannounced to inquire about or to make a donation.

Please call the Child Life Office at 702-731-8961 for further assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: Why don’t we allow young children to visit?
Answer:The primary reason is to prevent the spread of infection. Some of our patients may have suppressed immune systems or be in isolation due to serious infections. It may also be uncomfortable for young hospitalized children to see their peers curiously look at them as these visitors walk down the hospital corridors.

Question: Why is there a limit on the number of people I can bring?
Answer: Hospitalization can be overwhelming for children and families. They meet many new faces every day. In order to help decrease the amount of new people our patients and families encounter, we ask that groups be limited to 5 people. This also allows us to adequately orient the visitors to the hospital, maintain patient privacy and prevent the spread of infection. Large groups may also disrupt patient care. Smaller groups help us manage the visit if an unexpected medical crisis occurs such as pediatric-trauma activation.

Question: Why does my group need to be oriented before visiting the pediatric areas?
Answer: Group visitor orientation allows us to educate and monitor for appropriate interactions and to give suggestions for interacting positively with hospitalized children.

Question: My group has visited the hospital before. Why are we not able to visit this year?
Answer: This also gives multiple groups an opportunity to visit. We limit the number visitors to ensure a healing environment, to maintain privacy of our patients, to prevent the spread of infection and to allow staff the time they need to provide treatment and care of our pediatric patients.