On this page you'll find information on resources available to patient families in the Heart Institute, including our Inpatient Family Guide.
When your child needs treatment for cardiac issues, the whole family needs support. The team in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute provides patient- and family-centered care to support families at all stages of their child’s treatment.
The links provided are for informational purposes and solely for the user's convenience.
Child Life Services
Our Child Life specialists are trained in child development, play, stress and coping. They can help children cope with or understand their illness, engage in play or other therapeutic activities. The Child Life team includes Child Life specialists, music therapists and academic coordinators.
Child Life specialists also support families by helping them cope with the challenges that come when a child is ill. They may work with siblings who may be struggling to understand and cope with a brother or sister’s illness.
Learn more
Ronald McDonald House
Families who travel from out of town for care may request a room at any of the three Ronald McDonald Houses located on campus. The Ronald McDonald House can act as a home away from home, supporting families whose children need inpatient care, and who live a distance from the hospital.
Learn more
Integrated Care Management
Integrated care management provides a variety of support services to patients and their families. These services include social work services, which helps support families through counseling and resource management; spiritual care, which provides emotional and spiritual support to children and their families; and Team Hope, which is our palliative care program for enhancing a patient’s comfort, dignity and quality of life.
Learn more
Visitor Information
If you are a parent or guardian of a child receiving inpatient care in the hospital, you can be with your child any time of the day or night. You will receive a special badge, so you have 24-hour access.
All visitors must get a daily visitor pass from the Information Desk in the main hospital lobby, or at the Visitors Desk in the Outpatient Care Center (OCC). Visitors to any of our intensive care units will need to complete a short health screening questionnaire, in order to help protect the health of our patients. There may be times when children younger than 10 years old may be unable to visit to help protect our patients.
Learn more
Organizations & Associations
American Heart Association
Members of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute work closely with the regional chapter of the American Heart Association to broaden understanding of the spectrum of congenital heart disease and promote research efforts for treatment and prevention.
Learn more
Mended Little Hearts
Mended Little Hearts supports families and children with congenital heart disease in many ways, including in-hospital peer support programs, educational resources, awareness initiatives, and parent-matching services to help you connect to a community that understands what you’re going through.
Learn more
Boggy Creek Camp
Our organization sponsors and provides volunteers for the Boggy Creek Camp located in Florida. Boggy Creek gives children ages 7–16 with congenital heart disease opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and group-centered camp activities in a medically sound and supportive environment. It helps kids and parents bond with others who have gone through similar experiences.
Learn more
Prepare for your stay by reading our Inpatient Family Guide
It’s a little easier when you know what to expect and understand what’s going on around you. We hope this guide will be a handy source of information about how our hospital works. If you have questions or need assistance, don't be afraid to ask. We are here to help. Read our inpatient guide.
Contact Us
For more information about the resources available to your family, please call us.