Eligibility:
All requests are subject to House availability; generally families stay as long as their child’s inpatient medical treatment plan dictates and thus it is hard to predict when rooms will be available for new intake.
To stay at a Ronald McDonald House, you must:
- Have a child (up to age 21) who is actively receiving medical treatment at a Tampa Bay area hospital or medical partner AND
- Be referred by the hospital or medical partner where your child is being treated AND
- Understanding and willingness to live in community-style accommodations, abiding by our conditions of comfort to create a safe and inclusive environment.
Our Houses are places of respite for families with children in active treatment at Tampa Bay area hospitals and medical partners. Our homes support community-style living for families with children who require:
- Inpatient medical treatment
- Scheduled and recurring outpatient medical visits that require overnight stays
- Frequency of appointments may determine length of stay and eligibility
- Consultation appointments for specialty clinics
- Partial hospitalization or step-down programs
Some considerations may include patient family’s residential proximity to the Ronald McDonald House.
What to expect during the intake process:
- Shortly after submitting your request to stay form, you will receive an email or text message from MBI International requesting you to complete a background authorization form. This must be completed for all members of your family staying with us who are 18 years of age or older.
- NOTE: In most cases, background checks could take up to an average of 72 hours to complete depending on the information contained in the report.
- It is recommended that you submit a background authorization form for any and all support persons who may utilize your Ronald McDonald House accommodations throughout your stay. It is recommended that you submit these forms before your intended arrival.
- Your invitation to complete your authorization expires within one week of the date received.
- Once both the Request to Stay Form and Background Authorization Forms are completed, you will receive a call from the Family Services Team to confirm the details of your request within 24-48 hours depending on how far out your check-in date is. Same or next day requests are processed as quickly as possible.
- All requests are subject to availability and are not able to be confirmed in advance of your requested check-in date.
- Should we be operating on a waitlist, requests will be added to the queue and you will receive a call or email when a room becomes available for same-day check-ins. We do not hold rooms in advance. If you are not able to check-in on the date a room becomes available, you will be placed back on the waitlist queue for the next available room.
To reach a member of our Family Services Team:
- Phone: 727.620.7240
- Email: FST@rmhctampabay.org
