Child Life Services Special Entertainment Guidelines
Special Events and Entertainment Guidelines and Application Process
Thank you for your interest in visiting Hasbro Children’s Hospital! During a hospital stay, children and their family members find welcome diversion in special events and entertainment. We are grateful to those who wish to share their talents with our patients.
All visiting entertainers and groups must be screened and approved in advance by our Hasbro Children’s Hospital Events and Entertainment Committee. All applications will be reviewed for the appropriateness of the activity, size of the visiting group, and timing of the visit.
To receive an application to be considered for a special event, please email us at [email protected]. Please allow at least four weeks for processing and review of your application.
Because patient safety is our foremost concern, please be aware that completion of an application does not guarantee acceptance or scheduling of a visit or event. While we are unable to accommodate all offers, we genuinely appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Apply to Bring a Special Event or Entertainment to Hasbro Children's Hospital
Help make a stay at Hasbro Children’s Hospital a positive experience for our patients and families.
Guidelines
Please read these procedures to ensure that your proposed event meets hospital policy.
- We offer a number of activities daily through our Child Life Services and Healing Arts programs. Event proposals that complement programming already being offered at Hasbro Children’s Hospital are more likely to be approved.
- In accordance with our infection control and confidentiality principles, all special visitors and visiting entertainers must be older than 18 to participate in a patient event.
- Any visitor who has had recent exposure to a communicable disease, or recent contact with a person who is ill, must receive approval from infection control staff before visiting. Any visitor who is currently ill will not be permitted to visit.
- All visitors must also complete a Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) check. Information about this will be provided upon initiation of your application.
- We have strict rules regarding the confidentiality and privacy of our patients and families. No photographs and videotaping of them or the hospital are permitted unless approved in advance by Child Life Services and Lifespan’s Marketing and Communications department.
- A media relations representative must be present during approved photography or videography, and those involved must sign releases.
- Please be sure to note your request for media coverage in the application. Media access to hospital events is not guaranteed and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Costumes that are registered or copyrighted will not be allowed without permission of the registration or copyright owner (for example, Disney Enterprises). Exceptions may be made at Halloween. The hospital has clinically trained clowns, so clowns outside this group are usually not permitted.
- Visitors and events may be restricted during certain times of the year, such as flu season. Planned and approved events may be canceled at any time.
- Our hospital cares for patients from various ethnic, cultural, and faith backgrounds. Event content must be politically and religiously neutral to be respectful and inclusive of all our patients and families.
- As entertaining visitors, please bear in mind that violent and threatening themes and objects can be particularly stressful for hospitalized children. We therefore request that your event not include items such as fire, weapons, scary costumes, and themes such as death, violence, or illness.
- Please note that live animals and latex balloons are not permitted in the hospital due to safety and allergy concerns.
- Special visitors will only be allowed to visit pre-approved areas for the scheduled visit. A hospital staff member will be present at all times.
- Certain spaces within the hospital have capacity constraints. Events cannot accommodate more than five volunteers due to space constraints, and some spaces can only accommodate two volunteers.
- Hasbro Children’s Hospital is not responsible for any injury or loss of personal belongings or equipment during the visit.
How Else Can You Help?
We welcome those interested in a more long-term volunteer position to help support our patient programming and activities.