The Ronald McDonald House in Boston is preparing for a major expansion as demand for free housing and meals continues to outpace available space for families whose children are receiving critical care at Boston hospitals.
The organization currently operates 10 residential units tucked inside an apartment building in Charlestown, along with a community space featuring a kitchen and pantry, playroom and living area. Families can stay at no cost for as long as they need to remain in the city during their child’s medical treatment.
“Boston is prohibitively expensive for a lot and people are coming here from all over the world to get that treatment, so having a space where we don’t charge families anything at all is really huge for families who would otherwise have to pay upwards of 300 or more a night per hotel when their stays are sometimes, on average, 55 nights a year,” said Lauren Hoops-Schmieg, Chief Executive Officer of Ron McDonald House New England.
In 2025 alone, the Ronald McDonald House provided more than 9,000 nights of housing and more than 18,000 meals, saving families an estimated $2.7 million.
“People want to get the best care for their children,” said Hoops-Schmieg. “And sometimes this is really their last stop. This is like their last hope. And not being able to find housing or staying close to your child is absolutely imperative, because otherwise you can’t come.”
For the Harbron family, that concern became a reality after 7-year-old Carter was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. A year later, doctors discovered a rare genetic disorder that required a bone marrow transplant.
“We were also terrified for how his health journey and how his diagnosis would affect our whole family—whether it be jobs, whether it be the kids and the normalcy that they would lose from having a really sick brother,” said Laura Harbron.
Carter’s bone marrow transplant required several weeks in the hospital. Laura Harbron did not want the family of five to be separated for that long and said it felt like winning the lottery when a room became available at the Ronald McDonald House.
“Just being able to have a space to sit around, to eat meals together, something as simple as sitting around and talking about our days and having a meal together... it’s just so healing,” said Harbron.
The Ronald McDonald House also offers emotional support and makes sure families have a hot meal waiting at the end of the day.
“Because sometimes at the end of the day, you don’t even have the capacity to think about caring for yourself after you’re caring for your child all day,” said Harbron.
That additional support has helped the Harbron family, and the Ronald McDonald House is now looking to dramatically expand the number of families it can serve—from about 80 a year to roughly 2,000.
“Boston is such a hugely important market in the health care universe that if Boston doesn’t work, the system doesn’t kind of work,” said Hoops-Schmieg.
Ronald McDonald House New England hopes to break ground on its new housing project next summer. The expansion would increase capacity from 10 rooms to 100 for families who need a temporary place to live near their child’s hospital care.
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