Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center established the first Pediatric Day Hospital in 1969. Here children can receive intensive chemotherapy, transfusions, and other types of treatment and supportive care, without having to stay overnight. A new center for children with cancer was created at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in 2004. The Claire Tow Pediatric Pavilion includes a day hospital and a unit for inpatients. It is designed to create a bright and comforting second home for children and families during cancer treatment, which often lasts 12 to 24 months.

Most pediatric cancer care at Memorial Sloan-Kettering is provided on an outpatient basis. With more than 24,000 outpatient visits each year, the Claire Tow Pediatric Day Hospital is the primary setting for the treatment of young patients with cancer. The Day Hospital was designed around a piazza concept with the light-filled Recreation Center at the heart of the unit. The Day Hospital also includes state-of-the-art teleconferencing; a school program with five full-time teachers that is certified by the New York City Board of Education; a "teens only" lounge; and exam rooms, treatment units, and waiting areas that all have the flexibility for privacy while incorporating the presence of integral family members. In addition, there is an original Art Program and a gallery of work created by children, many of whom are family members of pediatric department staff.