Country Programs

Home » What We Do » Local Chapters at Work

Local Chapters at Work

Ronald McDonald House Charities may have started in the United States, but 37 years on, our reach has extended well beyond these borders.

Local Chapters have been established in 56 countries and regions around the world. These Chapters run our core programs while also creating unique offerings to address the needs of children and families in their regions. They’ve built sports centers for disabled children, sensory rooms for children with cognitive and physical disabilities and developed other innovative ways to help change children’s lives.

Family Retreat in New Zealand

New Zealand Asia Pacific

New Zealand’s very first Ronald McDonald Family Retreat officially opened on February 14, 2009. Situated on the shores of Lake Rotorua at Ngongotaha, the Retreat provides one week’s free accommodation and is specifically designed for families who have a child with a chronic/long term illness, have suffered a recent loss of a child, or have a parent with a life threatening illness.

The Family Retreat consists of two 3-bedroom houses; Lions Lodge and R&B Lodge. They are wheel chair accessible, fully equipped, and have recently been honored with the 2009 Waikato Bay of Plenty Architecture Award for superior design in the multiple housing category.

The ground floor has open plan living areas, including a large bedroom with a sliding wall so in the event of a family member being unwell, they are still able to interact with the family. There are two bedrooms located upstairs. The accommodation sleeps eight people comfortably with two double beds, three single beds and a rollaway. Elliott Architects were praised for the buildings’ “simple forms, vibrant colours and multi-purpose spaces.”
Philipines Bahay Bulilit

Philippines Asia Pacific

The Manila Chapter opened its first Ronald McDonald Day Care Center (Bahay Bulilit) in honor of World Children’s Day in 2002. It continues to be a strong partnership with the Department of Social Welfare, providing day care and early education services for children up to six who have working parents. There are now 15 Bahay Bulilit centers in the Philippines.
The Chapter also operates the Bright Minds Read program, a reading curriculum that includes lesson plans and tools for elementary school students as they read their way through 32 storybooks. Already in the majority of the country’s schools, it’s expected to be in 37,200 public schools by 2010.
Radio Entertainment

New Zealand Asia Pacific

Ronald McDonald House Auckland is the first House in the world to have wireless access to Radio Lollipop (RL), an interactive radio station created to entertain hospitalized children.
Working with a local Rotary Club and the nearby Starship Children’s Hospital, which has an in-house RL radio station, the House is now broadcasting as well. RL funded the wireless technology for the House to receive the station, and each child in the House gets an RL radio to tune in.
Ronald McDonald House Auckland estimated more than 1,700 children tuned into Radio Lollipop in the House in 2007.
Retreats for Families

Australia Asia Pacific

To help relieve the burden and stress of dealing with a child’s serious illness, RMHC created a number of retreats in Australia, where families can go to take a break from the life and stresses of hospitals. With free accommodations for a weekend or week away, families can enjoy time together having fun and relaxing at beach houses in seaside communities on both coasts.
The first Family Retreat opened as Fiona Lodge in Batemans Bay. Other Retreats across the country include Kessia’s Cottage in Ocean Grove, Victoria, Jurien Bay and Bunbury in Western Australia, and the Family Retreat in Forster, New South Wales.
Schools-in-Hospitals

Korea Asia Pacific

As the newest RMHC Chapter, RMHC Korea has demonstrated a clear need for a Ronald McDonald House program, but land near the major pediatric hospitals is scarce. While the Chapter looks for a suitable site for the House, it is focusing on building national awareness for the RMHC mission and forging long-term relationships with the medical community and donors.
Currently, RMHC Korea focuses on educational outreach. The Chapter collaborated with the country’s two major hospitals to establish the RMHC School-in-Hospitals program which seeks to provide academic and social activities for hospitalized children. The program helps children keep up with their schoolwork. Teachers offer academic instruction five days a week within the hospital, and children enjoy music and art activities provided by volunteers. RMHC Korea funded equipment, computers, books, furniture, and other items for the in-hospital classrooms.
Additionally, the Chapter developed the School Re-Entry program to acclimate children returning to school after a serious illness. The program provides counseling and work-shops for parents, teachers and classmates. As a testimony to its impact, the Seoul Metropolitan Education Office recently accredited the program and implemented it throughout the elementary schools in Seoul.
Sensory Rooms

Malaysia Asia Pacific

To help children with cognitive and physical disabilities. RMHC Malaysia created the Ronald McDonald Sensory Room. Designed to stimulate physical and cognitive function and help relax children’s bodies made taut and painful because of illness, the room is filled with mirrors, bubble tubes, multi-colored fiber optic strands, aromatic oils, a warm water mattress, along with other special equipment.
Staff and volunteers at the care centers receive special training so each child’s sensory experience meets his or her individual needs. And the focus is not only therapeutic, it’s to help each child gain maximum pleasure from the activities.
A Special Center for Special Children

Russia Europe

RMHC Russia’s Ronald McDonald Center, serving the Greater Moscow area’s children, focuses on those with special needs.
The Center gives them a place to play while also incorporating interactive learning and musical therapy. It has a specially trained staff of coaches and therapists that created exercises to help kids develop the skills to navigate more independently; a curriculum teaching the basic rules of popular playground games; computer classes; and a music program. Children are also introduced to various sports, helping them learn about participating on a team, following game rules and competing in a friendly environment.
Each child receives a “passport,” which includes their measurements, a psychologist’s evaluation, Ronald McDonald Center coaches’ reports and parent/teacher recommendations. Every six months, the child receives a well-being check-up to monitor their progress. The Center has helped more than 75,000 children since it opened its doors in 1996.
Hospital School

Turkey Europe

Children who miss more than 20 days of school in a single year in Turkey must repeat the entire grade. To avoid this fate for children who undergo lengthy hospital stays, RMHC Turkey opened a hospital-based classroom in 2003. It was so successful they opened a second classroom in 2006.
The curriculum was prepared by the Ministry of Education and covers all the subjects a child requires. The classrooms also offer a play school for children younger than six.
Non-violent Gaming

Bulgaria Europe

Many video games have an element of violence, including those played on the internet. To give children an alternative and to help create an online gaming environment free from violence, RMHC Bulgaria encouraged children across the country to submit ideas for fun games with appropriate content. The Chapter then had games created from the submitted ideas.
All the games developed can be played on www.mcdonalds.bg.
Play Rooms

Sweden Europe

RMHC Sweden works with national healthcare facilities to identify those that could really benefit from having a Play Room – a colorful, cheerful room in a hospital or pediatric clinic where children can forget about being sick and just have fun with toys, games, books and art supplies.
The Chapter then works with McDonald’s owner/operators in communities across the country to oversee the entire process, from application and construction through ongoing operation. This strong partnership has led to 60 Play Rooms across Sweden. One doctor at a participating hospital said of the Play Rooms: “To make another appointment for a child, is like a reward because the Play Room is such a positive experience and is so much fun and so special to the children.”
Preventing Pediatric Cancer

Poland Europe

Because children in Poland are typically not diagnosed with cancer until late stages, the country has a higher mortality rate for pediatric cancer than other Western European countries. To combat this, RMHC Poland provided a grant for a “No to Cancer in Children” early diagnosis program, which trains general pediatricians across the country in early detection of pediatric cancer.
Because of the early successes and desire to do even more, RMHC decided to strengthen the program with a Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, which provides ultrasound screening exams among other services. In a 16-month period, more than 8,000 ultrasounds were performed and over 3,000 children were examined, with appropriate follow-up and referral.
Sports Center for Disabled Children

The Netherlands Europe

In 2010, RMHC Netherlands will open a sports center for children with disabilities. The Ronald McDonald Centre Only Friends in Amsterdam provides indoor and outdoor sports, games and entertainment and is also open to a child’s parents and siblings so a family can enjoy the games together.
The Dutch center is based on the successful center RMHC Russia has been running since 1996.
Garden of Hope

Argentina Latin America

The Ronald McDonald House in Mendoza, Argentina, cleared a patch of land next to it to start a garden for House guests. Fresh vegetables are grown for people in the House to eat, and guests are welcome to relax with a bit of gardening in the eight plots whenever they like.
An olive grove of 25 trees is also part of the garden, which supplies the House year round. There are always plenty left over, which are then pressed into oil. Bottles of oil are not only used in the House but also given out as souvenirs and at their annual gala dinner.
Hospital Waiting Rooms

Puerto Rico Latin America

At Dr. Susoni Hospital in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, a new pediatric emergency center treats hundreds of young patients. But there was nowhere comfortable for parents to wait while their children were being treated in emergency.
Recognizing a need, Fundacion Infantil Ronald McDonald is working with a volunteer design team to create hospital-approved, comfortable rooms at hospitals around the island. These “waiting rooms” will let parents and family members remain close to their children while they’re receiving care, and give both adults and children a comfortable, friendly environment to wait in.
Meal Baskets

Brazil Latin America

Knowing that good nutrition goes a long way in children’s recovery from cancer, the Ronald McDonald House in Rio de Janeiro distributes balanced meals to children whose families cannot afford the food necessary to support successful cancer treatment.
The Meal Basket program targets children with specific nutritional needs who have been recently discharged from in-patient care but are still receiving out-patient care. The meals not only give children the nutritional strength to fight cancer, they also encourage families to continue their child’s out-patient treatment. More than 350 children have benefitted from Meal Baskets so far.
Providing Training

Brazil Latin America

To help ease the fears and anxiety for many of the mothers staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Rio de Janeiro, and to keep them busy with a productive activity, hair stylists voluntarily came in to the House to teach the mothers hair cutting and styling techniques.
The House manager noticed the class helped the women with their anxiety, but also with their self esteem and overall cooperation within the House. She noted, too, that these women were also learning a professional skill. Many of the women who stay at the House are single mothers, from low-income areas with little access to education or training, so the course was expanded to help them past the duration of their stays. To date, 30 mothers have been enrolled in the now-yearly course, and 15 have finished training and are earning a living as hair stylists.
Wheelchair Bank

Costa Rica Latin America

Through an extensive analysis of gaps in children’s health care, RMHC Costa Rica revealed a large number of youth suffering from physical disabilities. Most Costa Rican families do not have the economic resources to purchase a wheelchair, and more than 600 children are on a waiting list for a wheelchair each year.

As a response to this gap in health care, RMHC Costa Rica created a “wheelchair bank” as its primary program. A wheelchair gives a handicapped child mobility and decreases pain from poor posture and other issues related to physical disabilities. It also opens the door to improved self esteem, academic success and social relationships.

From 2007 to 2010, the Chapter will provide $435,000 in funding for wheelchair outreach. The Chapter has forged an alliance with the Association of Professionals from the National Rehabilitation Center, whose specialty physicians, occupational therapists and social workers provide patient assessment and follow-up.
A Home School Away from Home

Minneapolis, Minnesota North America

Many families come to the Ronald McDonald House of the Twin Cities because of the transplant program at the nearby hospital. As a result, the House has the longest average length of stay for families. To help ill children and their siblings keep up with school work during the long stays, the Chapter set up a Home School.
With about 12 students, they not only avoid falling behind in school but actually receive more individualized instruction. In addition to following the state curriculum, students also have access to music therapy, art therapy and movement classes.
Baby Basics

Chicago, Illinois North America

RMHC-CNI, along with various community outreach groups, established the nine-week Happy Hearts and Homes program to instruct new parents in baby basics. The course provides parents with the skills they need to successfully transition into parenthood and is offered for free to first-time parents. The class is part of the Chapter’s plan to expand its reach to neighborhood families.

The course work is cross functional in nature and taught by community experts. Hospital staff provides instruction in a variety of topics including health, nutrition, breastfeeding and sleep schedules. Local police show parents how to correctly install an infant care seat. The fire department provides tips on home safety and information on stimulating the baby’s senses. Take-home materials are provided, as well as referrals to numerous other community resources.
Camp Ronald McDonald at Eagle Lake

Northern California North America

A residential summer camp for children who are at risk, Camp Ronald McDonald at Eagle Lake gives hundreds of kids each summer access to a host of activities they wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.
While the campers typically have special challenges that would normally hinder their ability to experience the fun of camp and nature, the Camp does its best to ensure all the barriers – physical and mental – are removed. Instead, the focus is confidence-building experiences designed to support each campers’ individuality in an outdoor group living environment.
Good Times at Camp

Southern California North America

On weekends through the year and for a week at a time during the summer, kids with cancer and their families forget about their health worries for a while at Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times.
In the mountains of Riverside County in southern California, campers can enjoy arts and crafts, hiking, horseback riding, scavenger hunts, swimming and campfires. They can also take part in opportunities through the year like field trips, parties and reunions.
Since it started in 1982, more than 25,000 campers have come for good times.

Media Room | Fileshare | Online Giving Disclosures
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates; McDonald's, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ronald McDonald House Charities Logo, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.