Frequently Asked Questions

• Can my child attend the events by themselves?

  No. A parent (or a designated responsible adult) must be with his/her child at all times. Any unsupervised children will not be permitted to participate in any of the days' activities. In some cases, due to limited space, adults may be asked to wait just outside the activity room.

• Can my child be denied participation?

  If a registered child is not wearing appropriate footwear, they will be denied access. Closed toed shoes must be worn by all to participate. Late arrivals may also be denied access at the discretion of the Program Sponsor.

• My child is too old but wants to be involved. What should he/she do?

  Please visit: http://ncifrederick.cancer.gov/Events/ChildrensDay/ and click on the link that says, "Be a volunteer". If your teenager does not have a login for NIH, please click "I do not have a NIH login". Then go back to the volunteer registration site to login with your new account and register as a volunteer. If your child has questions about this process, please direct them to webmaster at ncifwebmaster@nih.gov.

• How much do the events cost?

  TYCTWD activities are free of charge. The only costs are for lunch and swimming (if available), if desired. Information on lunch options and swimming will be provided via emails, and on the web site news page

• What goes on during the day?

  The day's activities will include:

  • Scheduled sponsored Programs (requiring registration)
  • Hub Activities - Outside (entertainment, demonstrations, and lunch specials open to all registered attendees) 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • Science Room and other indoor hub activities (hands-on experiments) 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

• Why is the Frederick Take Your Child to Work Day on a Different Day than the NIH Main Campus date?

  NCI at Frederick participates in its own Take Your Child to Work Day because many people who work at Frederick find it difficult to participate in the event in Bethesda. Additionally, having the event during summertime ensures the best time of year to plan outdoor activities. Given that the date of the NIH Main Campus TYCTWD falls during the academic year, most members of our community thought it would be best to plan the Frederick event when children are out of school, so they are not taken out of academic study for a day during the school year.

• What is Registration?

  Registration is the process of picking the sponsored programs ahead of time. Once registration is over, the programs will be assigned in a fair manner through an automated mathematical algorithm.

  Important Notes on Registration:

  • Check in time is 7:45 a.m.
  • Since a maximum of three Programs are available to each child who registers, and the Programs are assigned by an automated system fair to all who register, it is recommended that you register your child for all Programs that interest him/her and are age appropriate. The more Programs you register for increases your chances to get three Programs for your child since many Programs can only accommodate a very small number of children.
  • Please do not enroll a child who is not within the grade range specified by the activity sponsor.
  • Please share web access with your colleagues who do not have easy access to a computer.
  • If you experience difficulty using the registration form, contact us by sending an email to tyctwd@mail.nih.gov .
  • If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours, you are not registered and need to contact the webmaster by sending an email to ncifwebmaster@nih.gov.

• Where is "the Hub"?

  There are two hubs – an indoor and an outdoor hub. Each hub showcases a range of fun and interactive activities that children and their escorts can participate in without registering in advance.

  The indoor hub is located in the lobby of building 549. The hours for this hub are from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

  The outdoor hub is located in the parking lot of building 549. The hours for this hub are from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

  There will also be a science room in building 426 where people can participate in various mini hands-on experiments throughout the day. The hours for the science room are from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

• I registered my child for 3 programs, why does he have only 1 or 2 on his itinerary?

  Placing children in programs is a bit of a numbers game. The matching system tries to give everyone their 1st choice program regardless of session and then fill in subsequently after that.

  Depending on the number of children registered and the number of programs we have available, sometimes we cannot accommodate everyone's choices and fill everyone’s schedule. The number of programs that are prioritized also factors in. For instance, if you are only interested in a few of the sessions it will be unlikely that your schedule will get many programs.

  Thankfully, the hub activities and science room will be running throughout the day and have a number of great activities to fill the time gaps. If we have slots available before each session, you are welcome to stop by the registration booth on the morning of the event to see if we can place your child or children into other slots.

  If your children are registered for a 9:00 a.m. program, be sure to check in at the registration desk no later than 8:00 a.m. on the morning of the event. This will give you enough time to check-in, make any modifications to your schedule, and to give you enough time to walk to the location of your first program.

• Can I register onsite? Can I bring extra kids?

  Yes, you can register your child onsite, along with other kids, but there is no guarantee there will be a program slot for them to attend. In an effort to make sure your children have enough activities, we encourage you to register online in advance of the event.

• We missed the escort to our program. Can we walk to the building ourselves?

  Yes, if you know how to get to the building, please feel free to walk there yourself. However, if you arrive too late, you may not be able to participate in the program after it has started.

• Is there a map of all the activities?

  Yes, a map will be provided of the indoor and outdoor hub activities. Please stop by the registration desk on the morning of the event to pick one up.

• What if I want to register multiple children separately?

  If you only have one adult available to supervise your children on the day of the event, then you should register all children as a single group under the one "chaperone" so Programs appropriate for all of their ages will be made available to you.

  If you have more than one adult available to supervise your children, and you would like to register them separately, you may do so by adding multiple chaperones when registering your children. Each chaperone will be treated as a separate group, enabling the different groups to attend different Programs.

• What should my kids wear?

  For safety reasons, please do NOT wear sandals or other open-toed shoes. Sneakers or athletic shoes are recommended. Anyone wearing open-toed shoes will NOT be permitted into laboratories, shops areas, and other facilities where safety is an issue. Be mindful of the weather. Sun block as well as umbrellas and slickers in case of rain are recommended.

• What happens if it rains?

  Take Your Child to Work Day will proceed rain or shine. There may be some adjustments regarding the outdoor hub activities, but the indoor hub activities and science room activities will still take place. The programs will take place as well.

• Visitor Access to Ft. Detrick

  • Children or Volunteers 15 years old and younger - No ID or visitor pass is required. These individuals should just come through the gate with their badge-holding parent or guardian.
  • Student volunteers 16 years of age and older - These individuals are required to complete form (EHS-F-096) and stop at the Nallin Gate VCC with a state or Federal photo ID, which could include a passport, driver’s license, or learners permit.
    • IF THEY DO NOT HAVE A STATE OR FEDERAL PHOTO ID, THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A VISITOR PASS.
    • A school ID DOES NOT meet the requirements.