Visiting hours and policies

We want to protect our children and youth and help them get well quickly. Our visitors' policy balances family-centred care with the need to prevent the spread of infection. We appreciate your help as we work to keep CHEO a healthy place for all children and youth.

Who can visit patients on the units at CHEO?

visiting hours are 3pm to 8pm every day, including weekends and holidays
each patient may have no more than two visitors at one time
parents, caregivers, brothers and sisters can visit anytime during the day (no more than two visitors at a time)
one parent or caregiver may stay 24 hours a day
please let the charge nurse know the names of your immediate family

Who can accompany a child or youth coming to CHEO?

For clinic appointments, day treatment or tests

Each child or youth can have up to two parents or caregivers with them during clinic appointments.
Please keep brothers and sisters at home.

For our Emergency Department

Our Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As you can imagine, it's a very busy place. With so many people coming and going, we must be really careful to prevent the spread of infections.
Please remember that only two parents or caregivers can be with a child or teen in our Emergency Department.
Please keep brothers and sisters at home.

Here are some things you should be aware of:

Allergy alert!

Some of our children, youth and staff have severe allergies, so please remember:

do not bring nuts, nut products or latex products (like balloons)
avoid using scented products like perfume, cologne, aftershave, body sprays or hair care products
shop wisely at CHEO by checking ingredients and asking questions, as you would elsewhere

Preventing the spread of infections

We want to make sure our children and youth get well quickly. Visitors can help us by:

staying home if you are sick (e.g. you have a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, diarrhea, a new rash or are feeling ill)
cleaning your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel (e.g. must wash with soap and water if you can see dirt or if there is mucous on your hands)

Searching for restricted items

There are times when we need to check patients for things that could cause harm to themselves or others. We do this when we feel a search is needed, to keep everyone at CHEO safe. Restricted items can be any personal belonging that could harm a patient or someone else. Learn more about a restricted items search.

Smoking on our property

Ontario's hospitals are smoke-free zones — including hospital grounds. Provincial Tobacco Control Officers patrol hospital grounds to ensure the province's no-smoking laws are being followed.

Anyone caught smoking on hospital property will be ticketed and could be fined up to $5,000.

To smoke, you must leave hospital property. We also ask that you respect others and don't litter.

Keep in mind:

parking lots are on CHEO property therefore smoking in personal vehicles parked on our lots is also prohibited
using e-cigarettes and vapes are not permitted anywhere on hospital property

If you are ready to quit smoking, the City of Ottawa offers resources to help.