Ronald McDonald House Arkansas & North Louisiana

WHAT IS THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE?

Life changes in a moment, sometimes forever, when a family learns of their child's critical medical condition. The Ronald McDonald House is there to help ease the financial and emotional burdens when a child is hospitalized. It also helps provide access to the critical care needed and enables families to be together every step of the way during their health crisis. 

Families will have a free, private, and safe place to stay, as well as a community of support, meals, daily essentials, laundry, and spaces to play and relax together. When they don't want to be anywhere else but by their child's hospital bedside, the Ronald McDonald House: Washington Regional and the Ronald McDonald House Family Room: Mercy Northwest are there - and families will never have to feel alone and isolated. 

Families who are not staying overnight also need a break from their child's bedside to collect their thoughts. They can stop by the House or Family Room to freshen up with a shower, wash a load of laundry, grab a snack, savor a cup of coffee and quiet moments before returning to the NICU.

No sick child should be alone, and no family should be separated during this time. Thanks to those who support Ronald McDonald House, there is ALWAYS a place of comfort, care, and hope.  Families do not have to worry about their ability to afford a hotel, meals, daily essentials or most importantly not being with their child. 

All services at the Ronald McDonald House are provided free of charge to families thanks to donors like you.

WHY THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE IS NEEDED 

Ronald McDonald House: Washington Regional and Ronald McDonald House: Mercy Northwest serve as a lifeline for families who travel to Northwest Arkansas when their child needs life-saving medical care. Uniquely positioned within the hospitals, these programs offer daytime respite and overnight stays for their pediatric patient families. In 2025, almost 500 families utilized these programs for 3,021 nights and 1,335 day use visits, saving them more $1 million. This also included provision of 23,993 meals.

Historically, 66% of families who stay at Ronald McDonald House are trying to survive on a household income of less than $30,000 a year. An additional 18% self-report that they make less than $50,000 for their family. Even before the mounting medical bills and time away from work, our families were struggling financially. They cannot afford to stay in a hotel, pay for meals and snacks, or have excess gas money to travel to and from the hospital. If a room is not available at Ronald McDonald House, families have shared with us that they are forced to sleep in their car in the hospital parking lot or leave their medically frail baby in the hospital all alone to return home. 

No family has ever received a bill for their stay at Ronald McDonald House. This is only possible because of generous donors like YOU! Our cost to provide all the comforts a family needs for one night is $100. Your support will help provide private, comfortable suites, meals and snacks, 24/7 access to our staff who are trained to provide comfort and understanding to families in crisis, laundry, and places to play and relax as a family. 

Thank you for choosing to Ronald McDonald House programs in Northwest Arkansas. Every donation helps. Email Jacqueline at Jacqueline@RonaldMcdonaldHouseARNLA.org for more information or visit RonaldMcDonaldHouseARNLA.org.  

Thank you for giving a gift that matters.