The Lexington Ronald McDonald House serves families of children 21 years and under that are being treated by local hospitals. Limited exceptions may be made by a House manager. In addition to parents and patients, we also welcome siblings, grandparents, relatives and friends – anyone whom the patient needs around them to help in the healing process. Up to four immediate family members may stay in a room.
Our 21 rooms are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Families staying at the Lexington Ronald McDonald House for the first time must be referred by a physician or hospital personnel. If you do not have a physician or hospital referral you may fill out an online referral if your child is not inpatient. All online referrals will be verified prior to waitlist placement. Families will be notified of room availability the day the room is needed. To ensure the comfort and safety of all our guests, each potential House guest must have a background check prior to arrival. Please allow 48 hours to process.
Because we never know how long a family will be staying, we cannot take advance reservations. We take names on a first-called, first-served basis. If a room is available at the time you call, it will be assigned to you. If not, your name will be placed on a wait list in the order in which you called. Often, we have many families check out the next morning, and a room will become available before you arrive. If it looks as though a room will not be available for the first night, we can assist you in finding alternate housing nearby. You will stay on the wait list until a room becomes available, at which time we will call you.
The Lexington Ronald McDonald House requests a donation of $10 per night per family, to help offset the actual cost of $101 per night. If this presents a hardship for the family, it may be reduced or deferred. No family has ever been, or will ever be, turned away due to inability to pay.
The House is accessible to families 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The front desk is staffed from from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern, 7 days a week. A manager is on duty 24 hours a day in case of emergency.
The Lexington Ronald McDonald House can accommodate 21 families each night in private suites with rooms located both up and downstairs. In addition, the House has many amenities to make our guests’ stay here as comfortable as possible.
Each newly renovated guest room is furnished with two double beds or a queen bed donated by Termpur-Pedic, a private bath and a telephone. Linens are provided, but guests are responsible for their own laundry and cleaning their own room. Rollaway beds, cribs, toiletries and other items are available on a limited basis. Handicapped rooms are available upon request.
The Ronald McDonald House provides a shuttle service to each medical center three times a day (subject to availability of volunteer drivers). Due to our safety policy, children and individuals under 50 inches tall may not ride the shuttle.
Families stay as little as one night (for a follow-up appointment or testing) or sometimes months. The average length of stay for our guest families is 11 days.
Families whose children are being treated at that Kentucky Children’s Hospital may use the Ronald McDonald Family Room.
Thanks to the generosity of our volunteers and donors, the services of a Ronald McDonald Family Room are provided at no cost.
While the McDonald’s corporation is a partner in care, RMHC of the Bluegrass is neither owned nor fully funded by McDonald’s. Learn more about our relationship with McDonald’s.
RMHC of the bluegrass is solely operated with funds raised through donations made by individuals, organizations, and corporations in the communities we serve. The House is not owned or operated by McDonald’s or any medical institution and it does nor receive funding through United Way or other government programs.
By donating or getting involved through volunteering at the House or in the Family Room. We could not operate without generous donations from our community. Our volunteers are the heart and soul of the House – and the reason we accomplish so much with such a small staff.
