Program areas at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas and North Louisiana
When families face a child's illness their lives stop instantly, and parents enter a world of fear and worry. The Ronald Mcdonald House enables families to stay together, by their child's side, removing some of the financial worries and other concerns, so they can focus on their hospitalized child. The Ronald Mcdonald House served 938 families, providing them with a home away from home for 10,639 nights in 2023. This includes providing hotel stays for families who were traveling to little rock for outpatient surgery or clinic appointments the average length of stay for families increased in 2023 due to an increase in hematology/oncology patients staying in the Ronald Mcdonald house.continued on schedule o families with a child at Arkansas children's hospital, baptist medical center and university of Arkansas for medical sciences (uams) are eligible to stay. Our 32suite House provides each family with a private room, meals, snacks, access to a fully equipped kitchen, laundry, indoor and outdoor play areas, activities, and programs for families (onsite hair salon staffed by volunteer stylists, a ladies and kids closet, relaxation classes, daily essentials and more) as well as the support of other families experiencing similar circumstances. It also provides the ability for caregivers to work remotely. All services are provided free of charge.
The Ronald Mcdonald family room at uams serves families on the same floor as the neonatal intensive care unit (nicu), providing them with a place to rest and regroup, steps from their baby's room. It includes four overnight rooms, a tv lounge, dining room, kitchen, and play area for siblings. Families may stay overnight or visit for respite, meals, snacks, showers, laundry, daily essentials, educational programs and activities. It also provides the ability for caregivers to work remotely. In 2023, 70 families stayed in its guest rooms for a total of 1,001 nights, and there were 8,079 visits by additional nicu family members. All services are provided free of charge.
The Ronald Mcdonald care mobile provides free dental care and oral health education to underserved children in central Arkansas. In 2023 a total of 5,693 dental procedures were provided to 322 children. Many of these children had never seen a dentist before, and their families have no dental insurance or financial resources to be able to provide this much needed dental care. This 40 foot, state-of-the-art, fully equipped mobile dental clinic travels to select elementary schools and summer programs in pulaski, saline, perry, faulkner, lonoke and grant counties; in the summer it operated at a pediatric clinic in the lowest-income zip code in little rock. All services are provided free of charge.