How To Stay


When a child becomes ill or injured, the family’s entire world suddenly is turned inside out.

Physically, financially and emotionally stressed, families find themselves at our front door…”The House that Love Built®.”

Since 1984, our House has been keeping families together by providing more than 50,000 family stays. These families come from all 50 states and many countries around the world whose children are receiving medical care at Children’s Wisconsin or other area hospitals.

How to Stay

As our communities continue to navigate the effects of COVID-19, RMHC Eastern WI is following specific guidelines to maintain a safe environment within the House. Under these guidelines, we are currently accepting referrals for in-patient and out-patient admissions. If you have stayed at RMHC Eastern WI within the last two years, please call 414.935.6510 to make a self-referral. If it has been more than two years since your last stay or you have not yet stayed with us, please reach out to your social worker to have a referral submitted.

To qualify to stay at the Ronald McDonald House, you must be a parent/legal guardian who:

  • Has a child 21 years or younger being treated at a Milwaukee area partner hospital.
  • Lives outside of these four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee. * Racine county families are eligible to stay at RMHC Eastern WI only if their child is receiving inpatient treatment at an area partner hospital.

If you meet these qualifications, take the next steps:

  • Get a referral: Contact your child’s assigned hospital case manager/social worker to submit your referral. If you have stayed in the past two years, you are eligible to self-refer by calling 414.935.6510.
  • Check availability: Once on the RMHC Eastern WI waiting list, a Family Services staff member will contact the family between 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. on the day of check in to confirm room availability. The Ronald McDonald House® is not able to “reserve” a room for you. Your name is added to a “waiting list.”  Rooms are assigned in order, based on the date and time your name is placed on the waiting list.

Important things to know:

  •  One room per patient family with a maximum of five per room (3 adults maximum overnight).
  •  Every person over 18 years of age staying overnight at RMHC Eastern WI must present a valid photo identification upon check-in.
  •  Families may check-in between the hours of 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Please allow at least 30 minutes for the check in process, which includes a brief orientation/tour and minimal paperwork. (RMHC Eastern WI does not have 24 hour overnight check-ins).
  • We require everyone staying to be infection-free.  If a patient is in isolation, please notify the Manager-On-Duty.
  •  We have a suggested donation of $20 per night, however no family is ever turned away if they are unable to pay.
  • The building and grounds of Ronald McDonald House are drug and smoke-free.
  •  Families clean their rooms before check-out.
  •  Families must be respectful and tolerant of other families who are equally concerned about the well-being of their children.

For an accessible version of this document, please email us at info@rmhcmilwaukee.org

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