Ronald McDonald House Newcastle, located in the grounds of the John Hunter Hospital, provides a ‘Home away from Home’ to families of seriously ill or injured children. Our goal is to provide an atmosphere for families and their children, where the familiar routines of home life can continue as much as possible. The House offers a homelike environment full of compassion and understanding in a stressful and often difficult time.

Ronald McDonald House Newcastle opened its doors in 1991, and since then has grown to accommodate well over 800 families per year. There are eighteen comfortably furnished family bedrooms within the House, each with its own private bathroom. Families have access to:

  • A fully equipped kitchen
  • A warm, inviting dining room
  • Open lounge areas
  • Playroom, with indoor playground
  • Fully landscaped gardens
  • Laundry facilities
  • An arcade games room
  • An outdoor courtyard with BBQ
  • Some onsite parking

Criteria to Stay

To stay at Ronald McDonald House Newcastle, you must meet all of the following criteria:

  • The patient must be a child under the age of 18
  • The family, including the child patient, must live 100km or more away from Ronald McDonald House (Families from the Central Coast may also be eligible to stay with us)
  • No-one under the age of 18 can stay at the House unaccompanied by an adult (over the age of 18), even if they are the parents of a baby or child.

Only families who fit these criteria are eligible to stay with us.


Accommodation Cost and Assistance

Every effort has been made to ensure the accommodation cost is kept as low as possible and Ronald McDonald House Newcastle makes every effort to accommodate families regardless of their financial situations.

As most of the families who stay with Ronald McDonald House Newcastle live more than 100km away, they are eligible to submit a claim to IPTAAS (Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme) for assistance towards their accommodation costs.

Other organisations, such as Central Coast Kids in Need, may also determine families are eligible to receive assistance with accommodation costs.

If you have any concerns about the cost of accommodation, please arrange to speak with the House Manager at the time of booking or upon arrival, or speak with your social worker at the John Hunter Hospital.