visiting children in the hospital

Dayton Children’s hospital visitation hours for those other than parents are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

• Any visitors coming outside of normal visiting hours will need to check in at the nurse’s station.

Parents and/or legal guardians of hospitalized patients are encouraged to stay with their child during their stay.

Safety is always our top priority. As part of our efforts to keep our patients safe, Dayton Children’s is using a visitor ID badge process for anyone visiting our inpatient areas. All visitors, parents, guardians and siblings need to wear a badge at all times when visiting Dayton Children’s. When you arrive, go to the welcome center at our main entrance. A member of our team will help you get a badge. A drivers license is required to receive a visitor badge. 

• Parents and guardians will receive a reusable badge for the length of their child's stay. 
• Adult visitors will receive a one-time-use badge and will need to get a new badge each day that they visit. 
• Child visitors are required to have a parent or guardian with them to receive their one-time-use badge. This badge will feature their parent's picture and name in order to protect the privacy of our young visitors. 

Please respect our quiet hours from 8: 00 pm - 8:00 am daily. During these times, we lower the lights, close doors to patient rooms, and ask everyone to lower their voices.

Give patients, families, and the health care team privacy when it’s needed or requested. We offer a number of areas for you to pass the time while you wait.

Special care units (such as pediatric intensive care and the regional Level III newborn intensive care unit) have limited visiting privileges. Check with special care units for visiting information.

The best way to prevent infection is by washing your hands. To protect your child and others, your child may be put into isolation. If your child is in isolation, a sign will be placed outside of your child’s room to let others know what steps they should take to protect themselves before entering your child’s room. Please ask the nursing staff for available toys, books and other activities to keep your child occupied during their stay; children in isolation are not permitted to use the Activity Center.

As a children’s hospital our top concern is the safety of our patients and their families. Therefore just as we enforce a certain dress code with our employees we also enforce a dress code with our visitors in order to avoid offensive situations that could potentially lead to unsafe situations. Visitors (including patient families, donors, volunteers etc…) must wear attire that is consistent with our dress code including: no logo t-shirts or other clothing with inappropriate or derogatory slogans or marks, short skirts, sagging pants etc… Our security officers also hold discretion to discuss attire with a visitor if they deem it to be inappropriate for Dayton Children’s environment.

Safety is the number one concern for all of our patients. Hand washing is the most important way to stop the spread of infection. Please follow these guidelines when visiting Dayton Children's:

• Before you enter your child’s room, you should use alcohol-based cleaner, such as hand sanitizer, or soap and water to wash your hands, scrubbing them for 15 seconds, rinsing and drying them.
• Wash your hands after using the restroom or changing a diaper.
• Cough into a tissue or your shirt sleeve. Do not cover your mouth with your bare hands.

Dayton Children's does not allow concealed weapons or dangerous items such as fireworks, flares, explosive substances, etc. inside the hospital or anywhere on its property. This includes parking lots (even if in your vehicle), driveways, and other buildings such as south campus, Children's Home Care, CARE house, Children’s Health Clinic and Dayton Children's Child Care Center. All community locations also enforce this law.

When visiting the hospital, please leave all weapons and dangerous materials at home. Notices concerning concealed weapons are posted on all hospital and parking lot entrances. Anyone found to be carrying weapons or other dangerous materials will be asked to leave immediately and may now be prosecuted. Thank you for helping us protect our patients, their families, Dayton Children's staff and guests.

For health and safety reasons, Dayton Children’s locations are entirely smoke-free. No one may smoke or use electronic cigarettes anywhere inside the building or outside Dayton Children’s property.