• Ronald McDonald House Charities^® New Zealand (RMHC^®), through its House and Family Room programs, provides accommodation and support services to families who must travel away from their home to receive specialist medical treatment, or who have a child in a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), or other specialist paediatric High Dependency Unit (HDU).  RMHC New Zealand enables family centred medical care by ensuring families can remain together, close by the partnering hospital.
• Eligible families can stay with us when their child (under the age of 18) is required to attend a consultation as an outpatient, as well as when they are in-patients receiving treatment and/or surgery.
• A family is best described as primary caregivers (parents, step parents, grandparents and foster parents) of patients, and their siblings (brothers or sisters or half brothers and sisters).
• If a child other than those we’ve described usually lives with you as a permanent member of the household we may (depending on occupancy at the time) be able to accommodate them with you. Please ask if you need our help with this.
• Our rooms can accommodate a maximum of 5 people, 1 room per family.
• You can stay with us for the entire duration that your child is receiving treatment at the National Children’s Hospital.
• Once your eligibility has been confirmed, your patient travel administrator or social worker will arrange your visits with us. Note we do not accept self-referrals.

• Families of children (under the age of 18) are referred to us through their doctor, district health board or social worker.
• In order to stay at Ronald McDonald House^® while your child (under the age of 18) is having treatment in Auckland, we would need to receive a referral (booking) for you from your District Health Board’s National Travel Assistance office.
• If you are needing to travel away from home for your child’s treatment in Auckland, and your travel distance is more than 100km one way, you should be eligible for National Travel Assistance provided by the Ministry of Health.
• National Travel Assistance covers the cost of your travel to Auckland and home again, as well as a subsidy for accommodation with us. (The balance of accommodation costs are generously donated by the supporters of Ronald McDonald House Charities^® New Zealand.)
• Here’s a link to see the Ministry of Health eligibility criteria for National Travel Assistance.
• After checking this link, a next step would then be to contact the Patient Travel Administrator at your regional hospital, as they will be able to confirm your eligibility and explain the options to you.

• To ensure you’re eligible for travel and accommodation financial support, you must be registered with the Ministry of Health.
• You need your registration number before leaving or your travel and accommodation will not be funded – if it hasn’t arrived before you leave home, please contact your local district health board.
• If there is time, please call us on 09 365 8300 to confirm your booking 24 hours before you are due to arrive.

• Check-in and orientation is at Ronald McDonald House Auckland from 8:30am until 9pm daily
• Our family support staff will advise you where you will be accommodated on arrival.
• If you arrive in the morning, your room may not be immediately available, however, we can still check you in and orientate you. We’ll store your luggage until your room has been cleared and thoroughly cleaned.
• Everybody who is booked into the House, Family Room or one of the nearby motels will be asked to sign an agreement confirming they understand the level of behaviour we expect so that everyone can have a comfortable stay.
• Please also check your pre-arrival letter for additional instructions for everything we go through here.

• Visitors are restricted to 4 people per resident family. Visitors must enter through reception and sign in on arrival, we are unable to provide parking for visitors. Unfortunately, we also cannot accommodate visitors for family dinner nights as this makes it difficult for our volunteers to cater accurately.

Between our two facilities we provide House families with a whole host of amenities including:

• Four kitchens stocked with necessities
• Onsite laundry for families from 8am-10pm
• A library
• An on-site school for children in years 1-8
• TV lounges
• Expressing Room for NICU mums
• Fitness centre
• Business centre for parents
• Free Wifi
• Children outdoor play areas
• A range of programmes for our families to enjoy including: art classes, dinner and children’s yoga/massage

• Our mission is to offer a comfortable space while you are in Auckland away from your home, during the period your child is receiving treatment at the National Children’s Hospital.
• If your diagnosis is known and you haven’t already been in contact with the relevant support group for your child’s condition, let us know and we will introduce you and/or give you the contact details you need.
• Each ward within the National Children’s Hospital has a social worker. If you wish to see a chaplain while you are here, ask our family support staff to contact your choice of faith.
• We also provide families with emergency supplies e.g. food items and nappies

• Pack enough clothes and personal items for an extended stay if you are unsure how long you are going to be here. In the House we have a laundry for your use.
• You do not need to bring any linen or towels as we provide these for you.
• You will need to provide food for your family’s needs while here so it is a good idea to bring a bag of staple food items.
• Once you are here there are supermarkets nearby you can visit for a shopping trip if required.
• Each week at least two family dinners are provided by our supporters.
• Bread, milk, dairy products, tea, coffee and cereal are available to all families.
• Personal items – toiletries, books etc.
• Pushchairs, car seats and porta cots are available to loan.
• Medical equipment your child may need.