If you cannot find the information you need on this site, please call the hospital operator at 416-813-1500. Go to the Information Desk in the Atrium if you need help at any time while you are in the hospital.
Important contacts:
General inquiries: 416-813-1500
Patient information/locating: 416-813-6621
Ontario Poison Centre: 416-813-5900
Telehealth Ontario Info line: 1-866-797-0000
Bring the following:
You must show valid health-care coverage at every visit. If you do not, you will be required to pay a fee for the visit, unless coverage or insurance can be verified.
Proof of health-care coverage must be valid at the time of visit (not expired).
Sometimes there is a wait. Remember to bring toys, books, nut-free snacks, diapers and formula to keep your child comfortable and occupied.
Check-in
Register for your appointment at your clinic or at Clinic Registration near the Atrium entrance on Elizabeth Street. Arrive early so you have enough time to register.
As part of registration, you may be asked to complete a Health Equity Demographic Information Form. This form asks patients and their caregivers to provide demographic information, such as ethnicity, spoken language, gender and income. We are collecting this information to learn more about our patients and families, to help us plan and improve care and services, and to ensure that we are providing the best possible care for all. It is your choice to give SickKids this information. Patient care will not be affected if you choose not to fill out a form.
Patient ID band
A SickKids identification (ID) band will be placed on your child. The band must be worn on your child’s arm or ankle at all times.
If you or your child are sick before your appointment
Call the clinic if you or your child have had a cold, cough, diarrhea, fever or rash within two days of your appointment, or have been sick with or exposed to chicken pox in the last three weeks. Your appointment may need to be rescheduled.
Tell the nurse or your doctor if your child has been in a hospital outside of Canada within the last 12 months.
If you need to cancel
If you cannot come to your child’s appointment, it is important that you call the clinic as soon as possible to cancel and reschedule. This will allow the hospital to schedule another child who needs to be seen.
Try not to bring other children to the appointment
If other children must come, please consider taking them to the Play Park during your visit. It is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 11:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. All children over 2 ½ years of age are welcome.
Latex allergies
Call the clinic before coming to the hospital if your child or anyone coming with him or her has a known or suspected allergy to latex.
Wash hands
Please wash your hands when you enter and leave the hospital, and before and after you visit, feed or provide care for your child.
Accessibility
All visitor entrances on the main floor are wheelchair accessible. SickKids has several wheelchair-accessible washrooms on the main floor. Both male and female washrooms in the Atrium have large change tables where children and teens can have diapers changed. There is another private wheelchair-accessible washroom with a large change table on the Service Floor of the Black Wing in Room S213, across the hall from Rehabilitation Services. Wheelchairs are available near the Atrium and University Avenue entrances.
Assistance dogs for children or parents with disabilities are allowed at SickKids. Please make sure they are clean and have up-to-date immunizations.
Interpreter Services
If you need an interpreter, please speak with your child’s nurse or doctor as soon as possible so they can call Interpreter Services to arrange for an interpreter. Please give us at least 24 to 48 hours notice to make it easier for us to find you an interpreter.
How many family members can accompany the child to the hospital?
Only two adults may escort a child throughout the day from registration to recovery. Your child’s siblings are not permitted to accompany you throughout the day from registration to recovery, for reasons of infection control and patient safety.
Adults who are accompanying a child must wear an identifying sticker.
Is there a place where my other child/children can wait during surgery?
The Play Park is a safe place for brothers and sisters of patients to play. The Play Park is open Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Can I take my infant into recovery because I have no babysitter with me?
Normally, this is not allowed. The Play Park does not take children under 2 years of age. The patient will remain by him/herself if there is no one to care for the patient.
Can my other child visit in recovery? Can grandparents and other family members visit in recovery?
The guideline for visiting patients in recovery is for parents only, unless the parent is alone, in which case one other person may accompany the parent for a short visit. Post Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU) nurses discourage switching. One parent may stay with the child. Children, in almost all circumstances, are not allowed in PACU.
Can I come to the recovery room before my child wakes up?
Parents cannot be in the recovery room before their child wakes up. The PACU nurses need to check up on the child before the parents are called to visit.
Will I receive information about the progress during the procedure?
For the most part, there are not any updates given during surgery. The general rule is that volunteers only ask for updates once a procedure exceeds one hour or more over the scheduled time.
Can volunteers give me information about my child?
Volunteers are unable to give information about a patient unless specifically requested to do so by the surgeon or nurse.
Terrace Café
Location: Main Floor Atrium.
Hours: Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. >
View the Terrace Café menu.
Tim Hortons
Location: Main Floor, Hill Wing.
Hours: Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Starbucks
Location: Main Floor, Atrium.
Hours: Open 4:30 a.m. to midnight daily.
Jugo Juice
Location: Main Floor, Atrium.
Hours: Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Soup It Up
Location: Main Floor, Hill Wing.
Hours: Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Jimmy the Greek
Location: Main Floor, Hill Wing
Hours: Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Other places to eat:
Shoppers Drug Mart
The SickKids Shoppers Drug Mart is owned and operated by The Hospital for Sick Children. Proceeds go to support patient care.
Location: Main Floor, University Avenue entrance, Black Wing
Hours: Monday to Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on statutory holidays
College Optical
Location: Main Floor, Black Wing.
Hours: Monday to Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Closed on statutory holidays
Specialty Food Shop
Location: Main Floor, Black Wing.
Monday to Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Closed on statutory holidays
5 Fifty 5 Shop
Location: Main Floor, Atrium.
Hours: Monday and Friday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday to Thursday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday: 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Gateway Newstands
Location: Main Floor, Annex.
Hours: Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Gems by Jael
Location: Main Floor, Black Wing
Hours: Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Closed on statutory holidays
Bank Machines are located:
If you need help at any time while you are in the hospital, you can ask someone at the Information Desk on the main floor in the Atrium (the new part of the hospital) or you can ask any of our staff.
What to bring:
Things to bring from home:
Remember to put your name on all personal items you bring.
Do not bring:
The following accommodation lists are provided for families to easily find places to stay overnight close to the hospital. There are two lists; one has short term accommodation options (Hotels) and the other has longer term accommodation options (furnished apartments). Most of the hotels on the list do provide patient rates, so please bring proof of appointment with you in order for them to honor those rates.
To find out exact pricing, and to book a reservation, please contact the hotel directly.
*Please note; these are limited lists and there are many other options throughout Toronto. Listed hotels were chosen due to proximity to hospital and discounts provided to families at SickKids.
For more information about Toronto, call 416-392-CITY (2489) or visit www.toronto.ca.
Ronald McDonald House Toronto
Ronald McDonald House is available for eligible families, with children being treated for critical illness, for accommodation needs.
Please visit their website at http://www.rmhtoronto.org/ or call 416-977-0458 for more information on eligibility criteria and steps to apply.
Inpatient room parent beds
In most unit rooms, there is a bed in the room for one parent to use. This is free and allows a parent to care for and comfort their child. If the other parent/family members require accommodations, they should make their own arrangements at local hotels.
If you have concerns about finances
The Resource Navigation Program is available to assist families find and utilize resources available to them. The Resource Navigation Program is supervised by the Social Work Department at SickKids.
If you would like to make an appointment, or have any questions about resources you may email the Family Resource Coordinator at resource.navigation@sickkids.ca or call 416-813-6805.
Sometimes government programs or service clubs, such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club or Easter Seals, will help families pay for things while their child is in hospital. Before you come to the hospital, ask your local community if it can help.