We encourage parents to visit 24/7, as long as possible. Parents must be present in the room at 6:45 a.m./6:45 p.m. or will be asked to wait until after report. Hours for alternate caregivers as designated by parents are between 8:00 a.m. – 6:45 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. – 6:45 a.m..
All other visitors must be accompanied by a parent between 8:00 a.m. – 6:45 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Sibling visits are limited to 20 minutes.
During cold and flu season, please note that only visitors 13 years and older are allowed to enter the NICU.
Parents, grandparents and significant others may visit anytime. Visitors should use the telephone provided outside the unit to identify themselves prior to entry. The nurse may alter the visitation rules in order to meet the individual needs of the patient and/or the parents.
Two parents/caregivers may accompany a child to appointments in our specialty or primary care practices. We encourage parents/caregivers to secure arrangements for siblings, when possible, as space is very limited in waiting areas.
All vendors entering Valley Children’s Hospital are required to be fully vaccinated and must be prepared to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to security upon entry. No exemptions are accepted. Additionally, vaccines are mandatory for all Valley Children’s employees and staff without an approved medical or religious exemption.
Screenings and Mask Policy
Patients and parents/guardians are screened at all entrances – in all Valley Children’s facilities – with questions regarding health and COVID-19 exposure. Patients, parents/guardians and visitors are not required to wear a mask in the facility unless asked to do so after completing the health screening upon entrance. Patients and parents/guardians have the right to ask any Valley Children’s team member to wear a mask around their child, and staff and providers must comply with these requests.
Infection Prevention
- Hand Hygiene: Hand hygiene (hand washing or alcohol gel hand rub) is the single most important way to prevent the spread of infection. Your child’s nurse will educate visitors about hand hygiene procedures. Learn more about Valley Children's dedication to hand hygiene >>
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): Typically during the cold and flu season, Valley Children's Hospital will declare visitor restrictions due to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Some of these viruses can cause severe complications in children who may already have other health problems. During RSV season, children 12 years old and younger are not allowed to visit the Hospital in patient care areas. The goal of this action is to prevent visiting children from infecting hospitalized children with the RSV virus. Additionally, it also protects visiting children from being infected by hospital-bound patients. This action is necessary to protect the health of families and the well-being of hospitalized children and staff.
- Wellness Wristbands: We ask that you check in at the Information Center at the main entrance or enter the Emergency Department when the main entrance is closed. Children under the age of 13 who are visiting are asked about their health in case they are contagious to others. A Wellness Wristband is issued to all visiting children and must be worn at all times while at the hospital.
Flowers & Gifts
Friends and family are welcome to send flowers, cards and other gifts to patients staying at Valley Children's Hospital. Depending on the inpatient unit, there may be some restrictions, so please check with the nurse. No live plants or flowers are allowed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Latex balloons are not allowed in the hospital but Mylar (foil) balloons are acceptable. Please be careful with balloon strings and weights as they can choke small children.
Mailing information:
Patient's Name
Room Number
Valley Children's Hospital
9300 Valley Children's Place
Madera, CA 93636-8762
Fire Safety
In the unlikely event of a fire emergency, you will hear an alarm followed by an overhead announcement indicating a fire, its location, and instructions. If this happens, please stay with your child in your child's room and wait for instructions from a staff member. Our entire staff is fully trained to respond to emergency situations. Valley Children's Hospital has routine fire drills so that we can rapidly respond to emergencies.
Smoking Policy
To provide a healthy healing environment for our patients, Valley Children’s Hospital is a “No Smoking” facility.