Families may be eligible based on the following criteria:

• The family resides in Ontario with a valid OHIP card. Children and families living in Quebec or Nunavut may also be eligible, though some service offerings could vary based on provincial or territorial guidelines. These differences will be discussed with families at the time of referral.
• The baby has a life-limiting illness.
• The family is supported by CHEO’s Palliative Care Program.
• Families are supported and encouraged to participate in care planning with the team at Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice.

If you have questions about eligibility, our team is here to help. Contact us at [email protected]

A referral to the CHEO Palliative Care Team can be made for any family who may benefit from their services. Early referrals are encouraged so families can establish a therapeutic relationship with the team.

• Referrals must be from a physician, midwife, or nurse practitioner involved in the child’s care.
• Non-urgent referrals can be sent to the CHEO Pediatric Palliative Care Team via EpicCare Link or by fax at 613-523-3617. Referrals from CHEO teams can be sent via Epic.
• Urgent referrals: Healthcare providers should call CHEO at 613-737-7600 #0 and ask for the Palliative Care physician on call.

Assessment: After a referral is received, the team will assess eligibility. 

For more referral information, interested families can call Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice at 613-523-6300 ext. 4600

The development of a specialized birth plan, designed by you, meets the unique needs of your baby, your family, and yourself. This plan will address your hopes and wishes for care during pregnancy, labour, delivery, the post-partum phase, and neonatal period. Respecting the moral, psychological, religious, cultural, and other values of your family is central to the development of this plan. Your birth plan will be shared with your healthcare team to ensure your wishes and goals of care are clearly communicated.

What to expect: Prior to birth

• Getting to know you and your family 
• Meeting our team and gaining an understanding of our involvement 
• Exploring choices, hopes, wishes, and dreams 
• Making decisions with psychosocial and spiritual support 
• Planning routine care during your pregnancy 
• Encouraging bonding and sibling involvement 
• Planning memory-making and legacy building (hand and footprints and moldings, pictures, lock of hair, etc.)

Planning for the birth of your baby

• Family and medical plan of care during labour and delivery 
• How and when to reach the Palliative Care Team 
• Who you would like present at delivery
• Discussion and planning for the “what ifs” 
• Discussing end-of-life care

Care for you and your baby after birth

• Making decisions around routine care for you and your baby 
• Allowing unlimited time and privacy with your baby following birth 
• Comfort measures for your baby
• Exploring ways to create memories through bathing and dressing 
• Incorporating spiritual and cultural practices that are important to you and your family (e.g., baptism, naming ceremony)

Bereavement support

• Accessing helpful resources and supports
• Follow-up bereavement support through Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice

Memory planning: What to expect

• A meeting with the Perinatal Palliative Care Nurse and Social Worker as soon as possible to discuss your wishes, answer questions, and provide emotional support.
• The development of a memory plan designed by you that meets the unique needs of your baby and family, reflecting your wishes for time spent with your baby.
• After your baby is born, your family can spend as much time together as you need, with opportunities for memory making. 
• Care coordination from a nurse who advocates for your wishes and ensures consistent communication between all healthcare team members.
• The time spent with your baby may include holding, bathing, and keepsakes such as photographs, handprints, footprints, crib card, and measurements.
• Counselling and therapeutic emotional support is available to your family after the delivery and death of your baby.

Transferring from birthing centre or NICU

When you arrive, we’ll help you and your baby settle into a room that feels peaceful and home-like. The admission process is gentle and focused on your baby’s well-being and your family’s needs.

A nurse will meet with you to explain what to expect as your baby receives care. Our team will attend to any medical needs your baby has, ensuring their comfort throughout your time with us.

What to expect during your admission to Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice

• Settle into a calm, private space where you, your baby and family can feel at home. 
• A nurse will review your baby’s care plan and discuss what to expect over the next hours and days.
• Hold your baby as much as you wish; you’ll have privacy, but we’ll always be nearby if you need help or reassurance.
• Meet members of our team:
  • Social workers: provide grief support
  • Recreation therapists: assist with memory-making, photographs, keepsakes
  • Chaplain / spiritual care provider: offer spiritual support, if desired
• Flexible length of stay: Some families spend a few hours at the hospice; others stay for several days, and some may choose to go home where the palliative care team will support you as well. We are flexible in the decision that best supports you and your family during this time.

When your family is admitted to hospice with your baby, we understand that you may wish to have close family or special loved ones visit. Visits can be a meaningful way to share time together, offer support, and create memories. To help maintain a peaceful and private environment for your baby and family, visits are coordinated with the care team and limited to those you approve of.

Our staff will work with you to arrange visiting times and ensure that guests understand how to support your family’s needs in a quiet, gentle atmosphere that honours your baby’s comfort.

Young visitors are welcome

We love seeing siblings share special moments. Children are welcome to visit, we do ask that all young visitors be supervised by an adult. If a child under 18 plans to stay overnight, they’ll need permission from their legal guardian and an adult present throughout their visit.

A few more helpful notes for visitors

• Please contact the nursing team before visitors arrive so we can help make your visit as smooth and meaningful as possible.
• Community caregivers are welcome to visit with family approval, and can provide care when requested, in coordination with our nursing staff.
• These guidelines help us create a welcoming space that balances safety with the freedom to be close together.

To protect the children in our care, many of whom are medically fragile, visitors should be free from symptoms like fever, cough, rash, or stomach upset. If you’ve recently been exposed to a contagious illness like measles or chickenpox, we kindly ask you to postpone your visit.

We want every part of your stay at Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice to feel as smooth and stress-free as possible, including parking. 

For families staying overnight: 

• Ask your nurse or one of the Personal Support Workers for a family parking pass.
• A $10 deposit is required (fully refunded once the pass is returned).
• Instructions on where to park with the pass will be provided.

For visitors: 

• Free parking spaces, including accessible parking, is available next to the building in front of the Farm Boy Play Park.
• A daily parking permit is required, and can be obtained from the reception volunteer. It must be visibly displayed on your dashboard.
• A new permit is needed each day you park. These parking spaces are monitored by city by-law officers, and vehicles without a parking permit may be ticketed.

If no parking is available: 

• Please ask the reception volunteer for alternatives. Options may include using the CHEO visitor parking lot (standard rates apply).