Answers to help you every step
Our Ronald McDonald Houses are a safe and free place to stay for families of seriously ill and injured children. Rather than spending the night in a hospital waiting room, family members can stay in comfort at a Ronald McDonald House and receive support from staff, volunteers or other families that are sharing similar experiences. Facilities include private rooms with ensuites, common kitchens, lounges, quiet rooms and play areas. Ronald McDonald Houses provide all the comforts of home, including providing food supplies and other essentials, as well as connection to vital support services.
The Ronald McDonald House is located on Melbourne Street in North Adelaide, less than 200m from the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Our main facility at 271 Melbourne Street has 15 x family suites and common living areas, with 270 Melbourne Street housing x 10 apartments.
Keeping the family together can be extremely tough without support, which is why we offer accommodation for families with seriously ill or injured children who need to travel for their child’s treatment, or mother’s going through high-risk pregnancies.
We try and accommodate the needs of families where we can, but this is always subject to availability.
Priority is given to families whose children have been recently diagnosed, seriously injured or who require emergency treatment, and families travelling long distances from their home.
We have a range of programs aimed to support families of sick or injured children.
Our Hospitality Carts visits wards of pediatric hospitals, providing bedside support such as light meals, toiletries packs or boredom busters for children and adults.
Our Learning Program provides free and vital educational support for sick or injured children and their siblings who have missed schooling during to illness or injury. Our program aims to support children to catch up on education through a suite of educational support services, including therapy sessions and one-on-one tutorials with experienced teachers.
The Supported Families Program provides psychological support for families, children and young people receiving services through Ronald McDonald House South & Central Australia. The program is offered in partnership with Adelaide University.
Referral to our Adelaide House is arranged through Hospital social workers.
Eligibility and access to our Ronald McDonald Learning Program can be found here.
Referral to our Supported Families Program is arranged via our House Families Team.
Our Hospitality Carts are currently running on evenings at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Lyell McEwin Hospital.
If you have any other questions about how to access our programs, please get in touch with our staff on 08 8267 6922 who will be happy to discuss.
Ronald McDonald House South & Central Australia is an independent charity that has been providing essential support for seriously ill and injured children since 1990.
We rely on significant financial and volunteering support from the communities we work in as well as corporate support, including McDonald’s Australia.
If you want to help raise valuable funds for Ronald McDonald House SCA it’s easy! You can fundraise with an event or organize an online fundraiser. Some of our supporters do it by putting on a sausage sizzle, others by organising a fun run or a trivia night. Some choose to request donations direct to our charity, rather than receiving gifts, during their special occasions. We can assist you with ideas, helping you create an event and providing you with helpful materials to market your event. Find out more here.
There are many ways you can help Ronald McDonald House South & Central Australia continue their support for families of seriously ill or injured children. You can:
There are a large number of fundraising events that take place during the year. Find one that suits your preferences and location here.
Due to health risks to our families, we do not accept second-hand clothing and toys. We have a pantry hero page that covers what donation items the house requires to support families.
