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About Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut and Western Mass

Location:

860 Howard Ave, New Haven, CT 06519, US

Mission Statement

The Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut is a "home away from home" housing children and their families who are being treated at nearby hospitals and healthcare facilities. The House is the critical link that brings together specialized medical treatment and the children who desperately need it. By providing housing for their families, RMH makes it possible for children from around the state, the country and the globe to access specialized and life-saving treatment not available in their local communities. Without our "home away from home" the treatments would not be possible. Children and their families live at RMH for weeks, months or even longer, if necessary. Families who are able contribute $15.00 per night to RMH. To cover the actual cost of caring for a family of over $125 per night, RMH relies on the generosity of individual, corporate and foundation donors to remain open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Description

On May 10, 1985, the Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut opened its doors as the only RMH in Connecticut. Twenty five years and thousands of families later, we find our 12 guest rooms filled to capacity with different faces, but the same basic needs. The House is the critical link that brings together specialized medical treatment and the children and families who desperately need it. By providing housing for these families, RMH-CT makes it possible for children from around the state, the country, and the globe to access specialized and life-saving treatment not available in their local communities. Through a communal living environment, RMH-CT also nurtures the development of child-to-child and parent-to-parent support systems that are crucial to the well being of families during this critical time

Priority for housing at RMH-CT is given to families of severely ill children (up to age 21) receiving treatment at local Connecticut-based hospitals, either as inpatients or outpatients. The most common medical issues that bring children and their families to RMH-CT include childhood cancer, liver transplantation, and premature birth. Each family is issued one room to accommodate a maximum of five persons. We believe families should stay together during the difficult experience of a child's illness; therefore, siblings are welcome to stay along with their family members. Children and their families live at RMH-CT for weeks, months, or even longer when necessary.