When a seriously ill child is hospitalized, the love and support of family is as powerful as the strongest medicine prescribed. Since 1980, our Ronald McDonald Houses have provided temporary housing for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, DC (RMHCDC) operates two Ronald McDonald Houses – one is located in the Brookland neighborhood in Washington, DC, and the second is located on the campus of Inova Fairfax Hospital. Families staying at our Houses are provided a comfortable private room with their own private bathroom, and have access to a full kitchen, laundry facilities, computers stations, living rooms, and inside and outside play areas. Van transportation to and from the hospitals is available. Parents and siblings are welcome to stay. If the child who is ill is being treated on an outpatient basis, he or she may also stay. There are rooms designated for children who are immune-suppressed and who require isolation. Our Houses make it possible for parents, healthy siblings, and children being treated to stay together during a time that can be disruptive to family life, permitting these families a sense of normalcy. When there is space, extended family, for example grandparents, can also visit. The House Managers work closely with the hospital staff, primarily the social workers, to ensure that the unique needs of each family are met during their stay. There is staff assistance available to families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.