Childcare While at Mayo

Welcome @banelson, I know how important it is to have your spouse with you for the consultation. I'm not aware of any centers available on the Rochester Mayo Campus but I would urge you to contact the free Concierge services at Rochester Mayo Clinic - https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/minnesota/concierge-services.

How soon is your appointment?

Hi John,

Thank you so much for your response. My appointment is the last full week of May, so I have a bit of time to get everything sorted out. I'll try concierge services and see what they advise.

@banelson, Can you let us know what you find out from concierge services? Hoping all goes well with your appointment. Here are some other discussions you may find helpful.

– Suggestions for a stay at Mayo Rochester https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/suggestions-for-a-stay-at-mayo-rochester/
– What are your accommodation recommendations when coming to Mayo? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-are-your-accommodation-recommendations-when-coming-to-mayo/
– What are your suggestions for a quiet place to relax between appts? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-are-your-suggestions-for-a-quiet-place-to-relax-between-appts/
– Where do you park when visiting the Rochester Mayo Clinic location? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/where-do-you-park-when-visiting-the-rochester-mayo-clinic-location/

Another suggestion, if Concierge service can not help, maybe check with hotel where you are staying and see if they have list of qualified babysitters.

You could also check care.com

If you need any ideas to entertain your kids in Rochester while visiting, let me know their ages and I can provide suggestions.

Laurie

@johnbishop thank you for the recommendation to contact Mayo Clinic's Concierge services. They were very helpful. If other parents in a similar situation are seeking help, I will say that the Concierge referred me to College Nannies + Sitters. They are a franchise with sitters and nannies who have received background screenings and training. They were extremely helpful and understanding of the situation and said they often provide sitters for families that are visiting Mayo. We were able to arrange for a sitter to come to our hotel for a few hours and watch our children while my husband comes with me to my consultation.

@roch we have never been to the Rochester area before, so I would really appreciate some suggestions on places to visit with our kids. They are 7 and 4 and love to be outdoors!

Thanks for sharing back the resource, @banelson. Is this the website?
- College Nannies + Sitters https://www.collegenanniesandsitters.com/

Yes @colleenyoung that is the correct website. I was able to filter by state and contact the Rochester location. They replied very quickly and I was able to have a phone meeting with their coordinator within a day.

Ideas for kids:

There is site for local families in Rochester that list various ideas and places for kids that might be helpful: https://rochestermom.com/

Check out the "Spring in RochMN" categories for ideas.

If have car, a short trip to Oxbow Zoo outside of Byron is place for kids to see animals and get outdoors. It is free.
https://www.olmstedcounty.gov/residents/parks-recreation/parks/oxbow-park-zollman-zoo
There is construction in area, so if go, check the website for detour information and do not rely on a navigator. With detour, I would guess 30 minutes from downtown Rochester.

Laurie