My Little Waiting Room
Providence St. Vincent is proud to offer free drop-in childcare with My Little Waiting Room – a service provided to families coming in for outpatient care and visitors of patients staying in the hospital. Childcare providers are employees of our trusted community partner, the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette.
- Open Mon – Fri, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Serving children 6 months to 12 years old
- Parents/guardians must remain on campus during child’s stay
- Families can drop in or make an appointment ahead of time by calling 503-216-6597
My Little Waiting Room was born out of friendship between two local moms. When Amy Paterson, (pictured right), was 34 years old, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Her son was two and a half years old. Amy had support from her wonderful husband, nearby family and generous friends. Still, it was difficult to arrange childcare every time she had an appointment. Amy had 144 medical appointments that year alone, meaning her family had to arrange childcare 144 times before Amy could get to the appointments that would help her heal. Amy’s dear friend Melissa Moore, (pictured left), was a huge support during her illness. After Amy’s chemotherapy appointments, the two would take long walks together and talk about her childcare challenges. They realized there was a simple answer that would’ve helped Amy and could surely help hundreds of families in the future. They began researching drop-in childcare at hospitals and eventually formed the nonprofit My Little Waiting Room.
Amy Paterson passed away in 2018, but her legacy and passion for helping families lives on with My Little Waiting Room. Providence St. Vincent is proud to honor Amy and reopen this special space in our ministry.
