In 1978, a group of concerned parents, known as the Children's Oncology Parent Endeavor, met with the administration at Cincinnati Children's to discuss the living conditions of the families whose children were hospitalized. In many cases, parents were sleeping in chairs or next to their children's beds in the hospital rooms. Some were even sleeping in their cars, in lieu of expensive hotels, to remain close to their children. Parents and family members were eating out of vending machines or grabbing a bite in the cafeteria before rushing back to their children's rooms.

From this group's initial meeting with Cincinnati Children's, a grass-roots effort was born. In November 1982, Cincinnati's first "Children's Family House" opened its doors. Located on Erkenbrecher Avenue, adjacent to Cincinnati Children's, the initial House consisted of 21 rooms, plus a manager's suite. It was designed to look like a large home, allowing guest families to share their experiences and support one another in a home-like setting with common living areas. Quickly, the need began to outgrow the capacity of the existing House.

Land was purchased across from the original House and, by November 2001, a new Ronald McDonald House opened at 350 Erkenbrecher Avenue, directly adjacent to Cincinnati Children's. The new House, still in operation, consisting of 48 bedrooms, 26 of which are long-term suites. The House features all the amenities of home, including family rooms, home-cooked meals, a common dining room, laundry facilities, playrooms, an exercise room and on-site parking. All of this ensures the feel of a true "home away from home."

In Spring 2009, Cincinnati's Ronald McDonald House opened its doors again to a new expansion offering 30 additional bedrooms, half of which are long-term suites. This expansion brings our total number of rooms to 78, allowing us to serve an additional 500 families each year. Our new wing also offers a new family room, wellness room and playroom, as well as additonal kitchen and dining areas.

Kim Hill, whose leukemia diagnosis led to the creation of the first Ronald McDonald House, passed away on March 5, 2011, at age 43, after a long battle with brain tumors.

When Kim was diagnosed with leukemia at age 4, her father, Fred Hill, played as a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. He helped organize a fundraiser that earned $10,000 for the Leukemia Society of America. That led to the establishment of the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia in 1974.

We’ll never forget Kim, whose illness inspired hundreds of Ronald McDonald Houses across the world.