Ronald McDonald House Wellington

• 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 21) 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 Wellington Hospital or local Wellington Hospitals.

• Families of children (under the age of 21) 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 Wellington, 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 Wellington, and your travel distance is more than 80km 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 Wellington 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: https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/services-and-support/health-care-services/hospitals-and-specialist-services/travel-assistance/whos-eligible-travel-assistance

• 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 04 389 5505 to confirm your booking 24 hours before you are due to arrive.

Some families only stay one night, whilst others have stayed more than a year. Families are welcome at our Wellington House while their child is being treated at Wellington Hospital.

Thankfully, due to our generous donors, there is no charge for families to stay at the House.

House families are welcome to check in to Ronald McDonald House Wellington from 11.00 am – 7.30 pm.

• Visitors are welcome in the House from 10.00am to 8.30pm each night. However we ask that families have no more than four visitors at a time to ensure the House does not get over crowded for other families staying with us.
• Unfortunately we cannot cater for visitors at family dinner nights as this makes estimating catering numbers a challenge for our wonderful volunteers who donate their time and food.

We welcome families bringing siblings and grandparents to stay at the House where possible, but we do not provide childcare services. Children under the age of 18 cannot stay in the House unattended.

Within our facility, we provide House families with a whole host of amenities including:

• Fully equipped family kitchen
• Onsite laundry
• Four lounges
• Games room
• Children’s art room
• Computer and internet room
• Expressing room for neonatal mums
• Media room
• Gymnasium
• Outdoor playground
• Private outdoor area for relaxing, dining and BBQs
• Parking – there are a limited number of car parks at the House. Further parking is available at Wellington Hospital for a small charge.

Family bedrooms are set up to easily sleep 4 people, with the ability to sleep 5 people if required. Rooms are fully furnished with sheets and towels provided. Each room has its own ensuite bathroom and TV set with DVD player.

We also have six completely self contained apartments for families with special requirements.

Some basic food necessities are available in the communal kitchen pantry for families, and dinner is cooked by volunteers 2-3 times a week.

Whilst family dinner nights are provided 2-3 evenings a week at the House free of charge, you will also 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. For additional food requirements, there is a supermarket nearby.

• Personal items – toiletries, books etc.
• A pushchair if required
• Medical equipment your child may need.