Our Houses
Offering support to the whole family when their child is seriously ill or injured.
Offering support to the whole family when their child is seriously ill or injured.
Ronald McDonald Houses provide a home-away-from-home for seriously ill or injured children undergoing care and their families. We also support mothers who are experiencing high-risk pregnancies.
Our three Houses provide the best gift of all – the gift of togetherness.
Our warm and supportive accommodation provides the whole family with a comfortable place to stay and peace of mind, knowing they can stay together and close to the medical care they need.
Our dedicated team of staff and volunteers are committed in ensuring our families feel welcome and supported across all of our Houses.
Each night, up to 51 families call Ronald McDonald House Herston home. Close to the medical facilities of the Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital and a short drive to the Queensland Children’s Hospital our Herston House consists of two large houses side-by-side, with a range of great facilities and communal areas available for all guests to use.
Directly opposite the Queensland Children’s Hospital and Mater Mothers’ Hospital, our South Brisbane House can sleep up to 87 families each night. The House opened in 2016 in response to the overwhelming need for safe, reliable short and long-term accommodation for families travelling to Brisbane for their child’s medical treatment.
Located on Level 5 of Queensland Children’s Hospital, our House is a warm and supportive home-away-from-home for families who are inpatients at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. Our aim is to give parents and carers of critically ill children peace of mind, knowing that they are close-by to comfort their child whenever they are needed. This small but comfortable and modern facility, has 10 guest rooms, a kitchenette, communal pantry and a lounge area.
Keeping the family together can be extremely tough without support, which is why we offer accommodation for families with seriously ill or injured children (up to the age of 18) who need to travel to their child’s treating hospital in Brisbane. Our House also supports families with mothers who are going experiencing high risk pregnancies and who need to stay close to the hospital until their babies are born.
We try to accommodate the needs of families where we can, but this is always subject to availability.
We understand that being away from home for long periods of time can put families under financial pressure. That’s why our accommodation is provided at no cost for eligible families.
Some families who stay with us are eligible to access a government accommodation subsidy (the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme) which we can we use to support the cost of providing our free accommodation. To enable us to access the subsidy we may require you to complete some forms, our team will support you to do that.
If you have not stayed with us before your referring hospital Patient Travel team or social workers will be able to request a booking on your behalf.
If you have stayed with us before then you can contact us directly to request a booking by phone:
All stays at our Ronald McDonald House in Queensland Children’s Hospitals are managed by the Paediatric Intensive Care team on the basis of family needs.
You will be provided with a private room for the length of your stay. Most of our rooms are a similar size to hotel rooms. Some of our rooms are apartment style with private cooking facilities. We also have rooms which are suitable for guests with disabilities. We will try and match you to a room that meets your family’s needs.
Limited parking is available at our Herston and South Brisbane Houses.
All guests have access to our communal kitchen, living and play spaces. Basic pantry supplies are available for guests to use. Linen, towels and laundry facilities are provided for all guests.
Our reception team will let you know if we have any special events on during your stay. This may involve family activities, special guest visits or communal home cooked meals.
When you arrive your will be asked to read and sign our Guest Agreement. This document sets out all of our House rules.
In general you will be able to stay with us while your child is receiving hospital care (either and as an inpatient or outpatient) at a Brisbane hospital.
Being forced to move your family far from home, work, school and your entire support network due to a child’s illness or injury is extraordinarily tough. Our Houses have a wonderful community spirit, where you’ll be able to connect with other families going through experiences similar to your own. Our communal facilities also provide families with the independence to be able to prepare meals for themselves and keep up with day-to-day living as much as possible.
Call us and make an enquiry or get a referral from a social worker or medical authority.
Parents don’t know when their children will need medical help. But they should know they can always access the care they need. With your help, we can support them all throughout their journey.
