Letter from the CEO and Board Chair

We are pleased to present our Annual Report highlighting stories from The Children’s Inn and the generous support of donors, volunteers, and the community who keep our mission moving forward. Leading The Inn through this past fiscal year has been an honor. We continued to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic focusing on maintaining the health and safety of our families and staff while planning for The Inn of the future.

As a result of your strong financial support, you have greatly impacted the lives of current Inn families as well as the National Institutes of Health scientific community, which continues to make significant medical breakthroughs possible.

In close coordination with Hospital Epidemiology Services, we brought back off-campus adventures for families, such as sailing, horseback riding, and trips to DC monuments. We were also excited to ease back into in-person events, such as Snowed Inn, An Evening for Hope, and our volunteer appreciation lunch.

Additional accomplishments over the past year included opening a new sunroom, which created a bright all-seasons space with a fireplace, window seats, large screen TV, and a comfortable place to lounge. The Playroom was also updated with a fun color scheme, new finishes, and play equipment.

We strived towards our #INN2025 Strategic Plan goals focusing on integrating health equity in all aspects of our work. As science evolves and medical treatments become more expansive, we know The Inn must also evolve. Our vision for The Inn partners with the changing needs of the NIH – opening doors for more families through renovation and expansion.

To prepare for this extraordinary future, The Children’s Inn at NIH will embark on its first capital campaign in 32 years to develop The Inn of the future—a reimagined place like home that will have new capabilities to support young patients, families, and NIH researchers at every step along their journey in finding a cure.

We anticipate construction will begin in 2024. The existing building will be redesigned and renovated to modernize all guest rooms, update the infrastructure, and integrate telehealth and smart technology. Technological upgrades will include rooms capable of housing patients with airborne respiratory infections or weakened immune systems due to treatments such as bone marrow transplants. Upon completion of the renovation and expansion, we will have increased The Inn’s capacity by providing a total of 65 guest rooms—a net gain of five rooms—developed a new front entrance and lobby, and created a covered bridge that will span the distance from The Inn to the Clinical Center. It is indeed an exciting time for The Inn!

Your support has gotten us to where we are today, and your partnership is vital as we plan for tomorrow. Thank you for your dedication to our mission!