“Imagine a world where families can stay together. They can stay close to their hospitalized children at little or no cost.” That’s the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, DC. This Ronald McDonald House eases the hardship of children’s illnesses on families.
Ronald McDonald House provides programs. These programs directly improve the health and wellbeing of children. The organization strives to create a world. In this world, children have access to quality healthcare. Their families are able to better comfort and support them. They can actively participate in their care.
Established in 1980, Ronald McDonald House Charities Greater Washington, DC operates several facilities. They include two houses, three family rooms, two care mobiles and three hospitality carts. All are geared towards serving families of pediatric patients. These families are in the greater Washington, DC area.
Consider the Ronald McDonald Houses. They provide a home for families. These families travel far from home. They often spend weeks or months away. They do this to get the best treatment for their seriously ill children. It can be a long time to be away. It can divide a family. For children facing a serious medical crisis, nothing seems scarier. It is scary not having mom and dad close by for love and support. Ronald McDonald Houses provide a home. Families can stay close by their hospitalized child. They can do so at little or no cost. These houses are built on a simple idea. Nothing else should matter. A family should focus on the health of their child. Not where they can afford to stay. Not where they will get their next meal. When a child is hospitalized, the love and support of family is powerful. It is as powerful as the strongest medicine. Staying at these houses improves treatment adherence. It allows better communication with the child’s medical team.
Think about the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Program. It focuses on keeping children healthy. The KIDS Mobile Medical Clinic delivers free healthcare to children. These children are from birth to 21. They live in underserved communities in the District of Columbia. These children are often at risk. They have poor access to comprehensive pediatric medical services. The KMMC provides high quality, cost-effective, family-centered medical care. This care is given regardless of financial means.
Then there are Ronald McDonald Family Rooms. They support family-centered care. These rooms are in the Hematology/Oncology unit at Children’s National. They are also at Inova Children’s Hospital. The Family Rooms complement the partner hospitals’ approach to patient care. They provide a place for families to regroup. They are just steps from their child. They make it easier for parents to actively participate in their child’s treatment.
Ronald McDonald House relies on donors, volunteers, staff and friends. They continually work to improve and expand their core programs. They develop new services to address the unique needs of the communities they serve. Over the last 36 years, stressed families have stayed more than 191050 nights at Ronald McDonald Houses.
The impact of Ronald McDonald House Charities is significant. It addresses one of the most pressing problems facing families today. That problem is children’s health. The three core programs are Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room and the KIDS Mobile Medical Clinic. They provide a bridge to quality healthcare. They give children and families the time they need. They heal faster and cope better together.