The Caroline’s Room at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, Connecticut

Building a Caroline’s Room is a challenging yet achievable goal when the will to make it happen is paired with careful planning. On this page, we have some guidelines and information to help explain what is involved in the process.

Guidelines
• Develop a proposal based on specific needs, restrictions, and goals
• Identify key players and solicit their support
• Obtain all appropriate approvals at the onset of the process
(Administration, NICU Director and Manager, Development Office, Facilities Director)
• Determine location, with high priority placed on a location inside the NICU
• Create and execute a master design plan that has been developed by Caroline’s Room consultants and professional interior designers
• Develop a budget and identify donor and cost-reducing opportunities
• Raise funds: Explore feasibility of corporate underwriting; philanthropic donations; grants from a foundation, civic organization, and/or hospital auxiliary; a special fundraising event
• Develop and implement media outreach plan
• Thank and honor donors

Costs
The cost of establishing a Caroline’s Room varies significantly from hospital to hospital. Variables include the size and configuration of the room, the design plan, whether or not the room needs to be wired for medical monitoring, and, of course, what furniture, equipment, and services can be donated. The cost of establishing Caroline’s Rooms has ranged from $10,000 to $30,000.

In order to make sure our funding stretches as far as possible, the funding for most Caroline’s Rooms is shared by the hospital and the Caroline’s Room Fund. Hospital funds can come directly from the hospital, through a hospital-directed fundraiser (see fundraising section; Caroline’s Room can provide guidance and assistance), through private or corporate donations that are obtained by the hospital, or any combination of the above. The exact ratio of hospital/donor funding to Caroline’s Room Funding is determined on a case-by-case basis. Caroline’s Room will consider fully funding rooms in hardship situations where local funding is absolutely not possible and the need is greatest.

As a general guideline, Caroline’s Room is targeting hospitals with neonatal intensive care units that have Level Three designation. Level One and Level Two NICU’s will be considered if resources are available.

Essential Features
The primary criterion for a Caroline’s room is that the room be located inside the NICU unit, not adjacent to it or nearby. Most importantly, parents do not want to be far from their baby. It is also vital that the room be easily accessible for the caregivers who will be conferring with the parents.

It is important to remember that this is a room for parents and other family members. It should be designed to create the effect of a living room that they might find in their own home. The use of attractive furniture, lamps, wallpaper, window treatments, and artwork, and a coordinated, traditional, comfortable, and elegant design combine to create the feeling of a private and welcoming room. Families may spend a lot of time here so it needs to be comforting, soothing, and visually pleasing.

It is essential that Caroline’s Rooms be professionally designed. The Caroline’s Room Fund can provide the expertise of a professional interior designer, or its consultants can work in partnership with the hospital’s designated designer to create a master design plan. In almost all instances, space will be limited and challenging, and there will be a need for a creative plan that maximizes function and the desired ambience. Furniture that has dual purposes, such as a sleeper sofa, a coffee table that can function as bench seating, and a stool that can be tucked under an end table, can be especially helpful. The room will have overhead lighting, but the use of table and/or floor lamps can provide a more pleasing effect. Art is a very important means of bringing the design of the room together and contributes significantly to making the room feel like home instead of an institution.

Space should be made for resource materials and perhaps a computer. Ideally, the room should include an adjoining bathroom. This eliminates the need for a sink in the room, thus allowing for better space utilization.

Finally, it is highly recommended that the room be wired with the capability to use medical monitoring equipment. This allows for the baby to stay in the room with the parents.