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Keeping Families Close™
For over 30 years, we have been keeping families close to their ill children receiving medical care in the Fargo area.
We understand that families come to our House exhausted, stressed, and often fearful of the unknown. Many feel the mental weight of mounting medical bills.
Our team is here to help.
At Our House
Ronald McDonald House provides so much more than a hotel. Our House does this by meeting the unique needs of families who are caring for their ill children.
We surround families with the love and support from our giving volunteers, caring staff, and other guest families who understand what you are going through.
We also provide home-cooked meals, food storage, a kitchen where you may cook your own meals, play areas, laundry facilities, computers, WiFi, and more, so you can concentrate on what is most important – your child.
Ronald McDonald House
Facilities and Guidelines
- Families with children 21 or younger that are receiving care at Sanford Health, Essentia Health, Eating Disorder and Weight Management Institute, Roger Maris Cancer Center, or Prairie St. John’s are eligible to stay at the Ronald McDonald House.
- Requests to stay are processed Monday thru Friday, between the hours of 8 am and 4 pm.
- Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Families are welcome to donate $20.00 per night if able, but no family is turned away if they are unable to pay. We do accept Medical Assistance, if applicable.
- Due to the communal nature of the Ronald McDonald House, a background check is performed on each adult 18 and older who is requesting a room at the Ronald McDonald House.
How to Stay
Ronald McDonald Family Room
Partnering with Essentia Health Hospital to provide an in-hospital respite for families.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley has partnered with Essentia Health to create Fargo-Moorhead’s first Ronald McDonald Family Room. This space serves as a respite for families with babies receiving medical care at Essentia Health Hospital located on 32nd Avenue in Fargo.
In this Family Room, families are able to rest, grab a snack or a beverage, shower, or take a quick break just steps from their hospitalized child. The Ronald McDonald Family Room is located on the 4th floor of Essentia Health Hospital within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU ) and includes:
- a family gathering area with recliners and a television
- a dining area with a kitchenette, dining table, and chairs
- complimentary snack food and beverages
- an ADA accessible shower with toiletries and linens provided
For more information
Contact Ashley Petersen at the Ronald McDonald House at 701-232-3980 or rmh@rmhcfargo.org
Ronald McDonald House
Frequently Asked Questions
No, we do not require any vaccinations in order to stay at the Ronald McDonald House in Fargo. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 701-232-3980.
Family members whose child, age 21 or younger, is receiving care at one of the following medical facilities in Fargo – Sanford Health, Essentia Health, Prairie St. John’s, the Eating Disorder Institute, and Roger Maris Cancer Center.
The Ronald McDonald House reserves the right to deny admission, re-admission, or request a family to leave the house based on noncompliance with our House guidelines.
A background check is done on each family staying at the facility prior to admittance. Full guidelines for non-admittance are available from a House Manager or the Executive Director.
Families are asked to donate $20 per night if possible.
However, we turn no family away because of the inability to pay.
Yes. Please provide all Medical Assistance information to our staff upon arrival so that we may file a claim.
Complete and submit the Request a Room Form on this website or call the Ronald McDonald House at 701-232-3980 between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Room requests are not taken through email.
No. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and we do have a waiting list. Please contact the Ronald McDonald House when you know you need a room to get on the waiting list.
Once you are on the waiting list, we will contact you at noon the day before your hospital stay to confirm if a room is available. If a room is not available, we will contact you again as soon as one becomes available.
Yes, we do need a referral to verify that your child is a patient at a referring facility.
Inpatient treatment – As long as House guidelines are followed, families are welcome to stay for the duration of their child’s medical treatment.
Partial treatment and appointments treatment – Families are eligible to stay up to one day before and after their appointment depending on the length of the appointment. For families with children receiving care multiple days per week, they are eligible to stay throughout the course of treatment.
You are welcome to bring your other children. Please note that anyone under the age of 18 must be supervised at all times. Childcare services are not provided by the Ronald McDonald House.
Yes, a fully-stocked kitchen including food, cookware, and serving items is available for use. You will have access to a refrigerator, freezer, and dry storage space for your personal use. In addition, volunteers prepare meals for our guests approximately 2 evenings per week.
Each room includes a telephone and voice mail messaging system. Family, friends, and medical personnel can reach the rooms 24 hours a day.
Arrangements can be made to hold rooms for up to 48 hours provided staff is notified before being gone.
Yes! We welcome friends and family members, who are visiting and not planning to stay overnight, to visit between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
All visitors must sign in with the Ronald McDonald House staff when they arrive and when they leave. If your visitors would like to stay overnight, they must register with the RMH staff. Please see a House Manager for more information.
Yes, we do provide transportation to and from the medical facilities with whom we work, Monday through Friday.
Van rides are available 2 times per day, Monday thru Friday at 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. One-hour notice is requested if you need a ride.
Smoking is not allowed inside the Ronald McDonald House. Smoking is only allowed in designated areas outside each location. North Dakota state law requires that our designated spaces be at least 20 feet away from the entrances to our facility.
Yes. Our facility has a computer with internet access. In addition, we have wireless internet service (wifi) available so you can use your personal electronics when you stay at the House. The office fax is also available for use.
