Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Maryland program

A free room near the hospital (Ronald McDonald House)

A free room near treatment through Ronald McDonald House Maryland. Oncology families do not have a minimum-distance requirement.

What it is

A free room near treatment through Ronald McDonald House Maryland. Oncology families do not have a minimum-distance requirement.

Staying near the hospital can reduce repeated travel and overnight costs. Ronald McDonald House is a charity with limited rooms. A hospital referral helps the house assess whether it can accommodate your family.

Eligibility rules
  • The child must be an inpatient or have at least three appointments a week. Oncology and shock-trauma families have no distance requirement at the Maryland house.
What you get
  • A free room near the hospital when a room is available and the family qualifies.
  • A free shuttle to Baltimore-area hospitals.
What the help covers
  • The shuttle serves Baltimore-area hospitals. The Children's Inn offers free Bethesda lodging for families whose child participates in National Institutes of Health clinical research.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask the hospital social worker for a Ronald McDonald House Maryland referral.
  2. Share the admission or appointment schedule and the dates your family needs lodging.
  3. Ask the house to confirm room availability and shuttle arrangements before planning the stay.

The charity, usually on a hospital referral · 410-528-1010 · Official page ↗

After you apply
  • The charity decides whether it can accept the referral. Shuttle signup is required the night before the trip.
Good to know

These rooms are not an entitlement. The Children's Inn in Bethesda is a different program for families in NIH research.

Other details
  • Ronald McDonald House Maryland is at 410-528-1010. NIH research lodging needs its own referral conversation.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could we stay near the hospital through Ronald McDonald House? What would the room and shuttle arrangements involve, and could you help with a referral if it suits our treatment schedule?”

Why I’m asking: A nearby place to sleep could make repeated hospital days easier to manage.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Ask for the referral early and sign up for the shuttle the night before.

Your social worker

The hospital social worker makes the referral.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
The charity decides, usually on a hospital referral.
Ask your social worker
“Can you refer us to Ronald McDonald House? We are an oncology family, so there is no distance requirement, and we need somewhere to stay while my child is an inpatient.”

How to apply

First step: Ask the hospital social worker to make the referral on day one.

  1. Ask the hospital social worker for a lodging referral on day one, not day ten.
  2. If you get a room, sign up for the shuttle the night before you need it.
  3. Ask about the Bethesda house only if your child is in a National Institutes of Health study.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Ask the hospital social worker to make the referral.

What to gather

  • The admission or clinic schedule
  • Your home address, for the referral form

How long: Depends on rooms being free. Ask early.

What a yes looks like

A room and a shuttle timetable.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Ask the social worker what other lodging the hospital has arrangements with.

Watch out

  • These are charities with limited rooms, not something you are entitled to. Ask early.
  • The shuttle needs signing up the night before.
  • The Bethesda house is only for families in a National Institutes of Health research study.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

A free room near the hospital with no distance requirement for oncology families, and a free shuttle to and from hospitals.

  • $3/week — Appointments a week that qualify a family where the child is not an inpatient

Covers: A room near the hospital · Free transport to and from hospitals in the Baltimore area · Free lodging at Bethesda for families taking part in National Institutes of Health research

Legal protection: Oncology families have no distance requirement at the Maryland house

What it costs the family: Free.

The eligibility facts, as published

Condition
The child is an inpatient or has three appointments a week
Distance
Oncology and shock trauma families have no distance requirement at Ronald McDonald House Maryland
Nih
The Children's Inn requires participation in National Institutes of Health clinical research

The trap: These are charities with limited rooms, not entitlements. Ask the hospital social worker to put the referral in early rather than turning up.

Where I read this

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