Guidelines for parents

Expectations and responsibilities

Help us keep our promise to care for and about you and your family. Life can be stressful. During your visit, if you feel overwhelmed or upset, please pause. We are here to help. Negative words and actions disrupt our healing space. They are not welcome at Children’s Wisconsin. We do not allow swearing, yelling, threats, bullying, unwelcome physical contact or damage to property. If you behave in these ways, you may be asked to leave.

Food storage and use of unit refrigerator

Food items kept in your child’s room must be packaged to prevent attracting bugs. Foods that are brought in and need refrigeration must be dated and labeled with your child’s name. There are refrigerators in the family lounges on the inpatient units. There are no in-room refrigerators. Use labels from your child’s care provider to place on your personal food. Staff follow health safety guidelines and will throw away any food that is not labeled or has been in the refrigerator longer than 48 hours. Children’s Wisconsin will not replace food that is thrown out for this reason.

Identification badge

• Identification badges must be worn at all times in the hospital
• A new badge is needed every day
• Get badges at any Welcome Center or Nurses’ station
• Turn in badges at a Welcome Center when you leave.

All inpatient families are asked to create a visitor list. A visitor badge must be worn by every person who is on the visitor list. Due to the pandemic, visiting is limited to 2 adults for hospitalized patients. 

Leaving your child’s room

Ask your child’s care provider before taking your child for a walk inside or outside the hospital. Public areas for walking are on the first floor of the hospital, the Noel Family Healing Garden, and the lower level of the hospital near the dining room. Do not walk through other patient care areas. Please respect the privacy of other patients when walking around the hospital.

News media

Being at Children’s Wisconsin with a sick or injured child can be stressful. Sometimes, the news media may want to talk with you. Let the hospital media relations team help you handle these calls. Keep the following in mind if you are called by a reporter:

• You do not have to talk to reporters.
• You do not owe them an interview.
• Even if you promised someone an interview, it is okay to change your mind.
• Do not arrange interviews on your own. Hospital policy requires reporters to be with a media relations specialist at all times. Call (414) 266-5420 for help.
• Security Services staff is required to ask all unescorted reporters to leave the hospital. 

Pagers

In certain situations, we offer pagers if you need to leave the hospital for short periods. Ask your child’s nurse for more information.

Visitor restriction

Milwaukee hospital patient care units – Four adults will be allowed on a patient’s visitor list. These four names must remain the same for the entire stay. Two individuals may be present at the bedside at the same time. Siblings and visitors under age 18 are still are not allowed in hospital in-patient care units at this time.

Specialty care, primary care, urgent care, labs, therapies, and community services – Two individuals may accompany the patient.

Surgicenter, Emergency Department Trauma Center (EDTC), Imaging, and surgical services on the Milwaukee campus – Two individuals may accompany the patient.