For Families

Our House, your home

The Ronald McDonald House is a “home-away-from-home” that keeps families together when it matters most. When you and your family stay with us we want you to find the comfort and care of home. Most importantly, we want you to find the support you need to focus on what matters most – your child.

Here are some of the amenities we provide:

  • Comfortable guest rooms with private bathrooms
  • Shared living rooms, kitchens and dining areas
  • Beautiful one-acre courtyard, with playgrounds and garden spaces
  • Video game room, playrooms, TV, Wifi
  • Caring environment where other families, volunteers and staff offer support
  • A variety of evening activities for all family members
  • A prepared meal each evening, and plenty of snacks and other foods you can fix for yourself during the day

Request a Room

Families staying at the Ronald McDonald House for the first time must have a referral from a staff member or medical provider at the hospital. Initial referrals usually come to us from a social worker, nurse or case manager.

Please be aware that a request for a room does not guarantee availability. Every family must call the House on the day they wish to arrive to be sure that they have a room.

Returning families (who have stayed within the past 18 months) can request a room by calling the House at 919-913-2040.

Our preferred check-in time is 12 pm – 8 pm. Guests 18 or older must have a photo ID to present at check in.

FAQs

Patient receiving treatment must be 18 years or younger.

Patient’s home residence must be more than 35 miles from NC Children’s Hospital.

The nightly charge is $25 for a standard room and $45 for an apartment. Financial assistance is available.
Most rooms accommodate up to 3 people.

We do have a limited number of rooms for 4-6 people.

Only the patient’s immediate family members directly involved in the care of the patient or siblings are allowed to stay.

Every family must call the House on the day they plan to arrive to confirm availability.

If you are staying with us for the first time, we will contact you when we receive your referral.

If there is no availability at the RMH on the day you wish to arrive, we can refer you to a local hotel at a reduced rate.

Linens are provided, along with food, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies.

You only need to bring personal items.

The House is a community living setting. There are plenty of common areas where you can watch TV, and a dining room is available for meals. Eating is not allowed in bedrooms, but storage and refrigerator space is available to each guest family in the House kitchen area. Also, each individual guest family is responsible for keeping their own room clean every day.
Guest families are welcome to come and go as they please, but the room must be utilized every day for sleeping. If you plan to leave for longer than 24 hours, you must check out of the room.
UNC Hospitals provide a scheduled shuttle service each evening during the week and a few times during the day on Saturday and Sunday.

The public bus provides service between the RMH and UNC Hospitals M-F. All Chapel Hill Transit buses are free for riders.

The Ronald McDonald House does not provide transportation for families.

Only certified service animals are allowed to stay with a guest family.

Therapy dog teams visit the RMH each week.

We’re here to help.

Contact Us
Resources