The CC Family Friend Program

The Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center has initiated a pilot program, designed to better serve the needs of its clinical research volunteers. The CC Family Friend Program supports individuals who would like to participate in clinical trials here at the NIH, but are having difficulty because they have no child-care resources.

Program Eligibility

The Family Friend Program is open to children between 3 to 7 years of age. The parent must be enrolled in an NIH clinical trial and be scheduled to receive treatment on the same day that child care is granted. Services will be provided during the hours of treatment only, and will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. Preference will be given to toilet-trained children, and a maximum of 10 children can participate in the program at any one time. Parents will be required to provide an immunization history for the child at the time of registration. For safety reasons, children will not be permitted with:

• a recent history of oral polio
• a recent chickenpox vaccine
• a rash of any kind

Registration

Patients are encouraged to first exhaust all outside resources for childcare. Advanced notice is requested, but in the case of an emergency situation, the program will accept children that have not been previously scheduled, space permitting. Once a need for the service is established, the principal investigator, research nurse, or other designee will refer the patient to the Social Work Department. An assessment will then be conducted and the case will be referred to the Director of Volunteer Services. If appropriate, and space permitting, the child will then be approved to participate in the program.

Location

The CC Family Friend Program is located in the 14th floor playroom.

Hours of Operation

The CC Family Friend Program is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Meals

Parents are responsible for providing breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. Bagged meals are encouraged, and parents will have access to both a refrigerator and microwave. The staff will also provide the children with nutritious snacks and juices throughout the day. Parents are asked to notify the program staff of any food allergies that the child may have at the time of drop-off.

Staffing

The program is staffed by CC volunteers who have had extensive background checks and department child-care training. The Director of Volunteer Services supervises all program staff.

Safety Concerns

To facilitate the child's safety, picture identification is required for signing the child in and out. During registration, Parents/guardians will be asked to provide emergency information needed to contact the parent, such as protocol number, and unit, etc.

An emergency contact must be listed. The child will only be released to this emergency contact if the parent is unable to pick up the child. No child will be released without picture identification from either the patient or the emergency contact.

Program Regulations

• Parents must notify staff of possible infectious conditions that the child has been exposed to, such as fever, sore throat, skin rashes, etc.
• Children must behave according to the rules established by the program. These rules are posted on site and can also be obtained at the time of registration.
• Parent's whose children have consistent discipline problems will be contacted to help resolve the issues. In the event that a resolution cannot be reached, the child may be denied future use of the facility.
• In case of emergency, proper steps will be taken to assure your child's safety. In such a case, NIH will not be responsible for general medical care. Children will be taken to Suburban Hospital.

For More Information or To Refer A Patient

Contact the CC Social Work Department at 6-2381.

Questions about the CC Family Friend Program? Contact the Social Work Department, 301-496-2381. Questions about the Clinical Center? Contact CC Communications (OCCC@nih.gov), 301-496-2563. National Institutes of Health, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. 7/99 Social Work | CC | NIH