Mission
When a child is seriously ill or injured, life changes instantly. Parents spend long days and nights at the hospital, often running on little more than adrenaline and hope. Meals are missed, sleep is scarce, and basic needs like showering or doing laundry feel impossible. Yet families must keep showing up, because when a child is in hospital, family doesn’t visit — family stays.
For more than 40 years, Ronald McDonald House Toronto has played a critical role in these moments, keeping families close to the care their child needs through our House on McCaul Street and seven Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms across the GTA and in Sudbury. Now, in partnership with The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), this mission of care is expanding with the opening of the new Ronald McDonald House Toronto Family Room: SickKids, Patient Support Centre (PSC) — a 4,000-square-foot sanctuary designed to serve an additional 150 family members every day.
Why Families Need This Space
Family-centred care is not a luxury in paediatrics — it is essential. Children recover better when their parents are close, supported, and able to care for themselves, too. Last year, the existing Ronald McDonald House Toronto Family Room: SickKids, Atrium welcomed more than 51,000 visits and operated at full capacity.
The new Ronald McDonald House Toronto Family Room: SickKids, PSC responds directly to this urgent demand. With expanded services and 23 private sleep pods, families will have more space to recharge while never leaving their child’s side.
“Since 1981, Ronald McDonald House Toronto has been here for families with seriously ill children,” says Louise Smith, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Toronto. “With the opening of our new Family Room at SickKids, we can now reach even more families every day, offering places to rest, recharge, and find strength — all without ever leaving their child’s side.”
What Families Will Find
Just steps from hospital units, the Ronald McDonald House Toronto Family Room: SickKids, PSC offers:
- Rest: 23 sleep pods where exhausted caregivers can finally close their eyes.
- Care: Showers, washrooms, and laundry facilities that restore dignity and help families feel human again.
- Nourishment: A large kitchen and dining area with snacks, coffee, and meals that provide strength and community.
- Connection: Lounges, quiet nooks, and a fireplace for private conversations or shared support.
- Family focus: A dedicated play area for siblings, recognizing that the whole family needs care.
- Supportive presence: Staff and trained volunteers on-site at all times, offering guidance, and connection to resources.
Katie Doering, Interim Director of Family Services, explains that every detail is intentional: “Families told us what they need most — a place to pause, to breathe, to sleep, to connect. That’s why we expanded sleep pods, doubled laundry, created quiet work nooks, and added a play area for siblings. Even small touches like natural light and calming colours were chosen to make families feel not just comfortable, but at home.”
The Human Difference
No one understands the value of these spaces better than the families who use them.
For Jenna Devlin, whose five-year-old son Hendrix underwent a bone marrow transplant at SickKids, the Ronald McDonald House Family Room was nothing short of a lifeline.
“For 42 days, I lived at my son Hendrix’s side in the transplant unit,” Jenna recalls. “The Ronald McDonald House Family Room was my survival. I’d run down, shower off the hospital germs, grab a coffee, maybe throw in laundry. It sounds small, but it was everything. It made me feel human again so I could show up better for Hendrix.”
She pauses, then adds simply: “Without it, I don’t know how I would’ve managed.”
Other families echo her experience. “It’s kind of like a smaller version of Ronald McDonald House — right there in the hospital,” says Steven de Haas. The O’Connor family puts it more bluntly: “Just exactly what I needed.”
The Role in Family-Centred Care
The new Ronald McDonald House Toronto Family Room is not only about comfort — it is about advancing the model of family-centred care that SickKids is known for.
“Parents are not visitors — they are crucial members of the care team,” says Dr. Daniel Morgenstern, Staff Oncologist at SickKids. “By recharging their batteries, parents are better equipped to take care of their child. Spaces like the Ronald McDonald House Family Room give families the relief they need without ever leaving the hospital.”
The impact extends beyond individual families. Many patients come from outside Toronto, and not every family can afford hotels or daily commutes. The Ronald McDonald House Family Room levels the playing field by ensuring all families — regardless of means — can remain present during the most critical moments of care.
Clinicians feel the benefit too. “Hospital wards are designed for safety and efficiency,” Dr. Morgenstern explains. “Dedicated family spaces reduce tension, ease pressure on hospital units, and allow medical teams to focus on care while parents remain close and engaged.”
Key Dates and Phased Opening
- October 15, 2025 – Phase One: Opening to families 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily
- January–March 2026 – Phase Two: Extended hours, 8 a.m.–midnight daily
- April 2026 and beyond – Phase Three: Full access, open 24/7/365
Why Support Matters
Every pod, every meal, every shower, every quiet moment is made possible by community support.
“Without donors, these spaces wouldn’t exist,” says Jenna. “And they change everything. They give us back a piece of ourselves so we can keep taking care of our kids.”
Ronald McDonald House Toronto’s vision is clear: every family deserves comfort, care, and community while navigating the unimaginable. With the opening of the Ronald McDonald House Toronto Family Room: SickKids, PSC, that vision is one step closer to reality.
You make it possible. Together, we can ensure no family is turned away.
When a child is in hospital, family doesn’t visit. Family stays. Your support keeps families strong, close, and cared for when it matters most. Thank you.