When a child is seriously ill, everything else falls away.

Days blur into nights. Conversations are harder. Decisions feel heavier. And families do what they have always done — they show up. Again, and again. No matter the cost. No matter the exhaustion.

When a child is in the hospital, family doesn’t just visit. Family stays.

At Ronald McDonald House Toronto, that belief guides everything we do. It is our mission in motion. It is our promise to families. And it is the heart of our work as we step into 2026.

More Than a Place to Stay. A Place to Stay Strong.

For two in three Canadian families with seriously ill children, life-saving care means leaving home — often for weeks or months at a time. With only 16 children’s hospitals across the country, most families must travel to get the care their child needs. That distance means time away from work, lost income, disrupted routines, and separation from everything familiar.

In Toronto, the cost of staying close to a hospitalized child can reach $24,500 in the first month alone — nearly a third of the average Ontario family’s annual disposable income. No family should have to shoulder that burden while fighting for their child’s life.

We exist to remove that barrier.

Ronald McDonald House Toronto provides essential services that strengthen families and promote healing when children need healthcare. Through our Ronald McDonald House and seven Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms, we keep families close — to their child, to care teams, and to one another.

Why does Ronald McDonald House Toronto exist? Because a critically sick child doesn’t just need medicine. They need their people. And parents shouldn’t have to choose between being there and having a place to sleep, eat, or breathe.

What It Looks Like When Family Stays

Family Stays looks like a tired parent finally getting rest — knowing they’re only minutes away.

It looks like siblings laughing in a playroom after a hard day.

It looks like a warm meal shared with strangers who quickly become community.
It looks like quiet moments of normal, in the middle of the unimaginable.

In 2025, that looked like 27,770 meals served — more than ever before — nourishing parents who hadn’t left the hospital all day and children who needed comfort as much as calories.

It looked like holistic programs that support caregiver wellness, child development, and mental well-being — because healing isn’t just physical.

It looked like classrooms filled with resilience at the Ronald McDonald House Toronto School, where children continue learning for free, in a way that flexes around treatment schedules, energy levels, and family needs.

Last year, we stood alongside thousands of families navigating the hardest chapters of their lives. Families who travelled from across Ontario and Canada to access world-class pediatric care. Families who arrived frightened and exhausted — and found care, comfort, and connection waiting for them.

Through housing, meals, education, and a community of unwavering support, we made space for love to stay in the fight.
Not just overnight.
But for as long as it takes.

Putting Families at the Heart of Care

Research confirms what families already know to be true: when families are supported and kept close, children cope better, outcomes improve, and healing is strengthened. That’s why we do more than provide a bed.

We provide a home away from home — one built on dignity, compassion, and community. A place where families are not treated as visitors, but as essential partners in their child’s care.

Since 1981, Ronald McDonald House Toronto has been by the side of families during their most vulnerable moments. And today, as demand for our programs continues to grow, that commitment matters more than ever.

A New Year. The Same Promise.

As we begin 2026, we do so with clarity. Our mission remains unchanged: To provide essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families, and promote healing when children need healthcare.

Our vision remains bold: To lead with family-focused care and innovative support services for seriously ill children and their families. And our promise is simple — and unwavering: When a child is in the fight of their life, family stays. And we stay with them.

We Need You

Families need Ronald McDonald House Toronto. And we need you.

Your support is more than a donation. It’s a place to rest. A warm meal. A school day that still feels possible. A moment of relief. A reminder that no family is alone.

Together, we can serve more families.
Together, we can hold them close.
Together, we can make sure love has space to stay in the fight.

Thank you for helping families start strong in 2026 — and for staying with them, every step of the way.