The Ronald McDonald Family Room

To provide extra support to families of hospitalized children, Stony Brook Children’s partnered with the Ronald McDonald House Charities New York Metro to develop a Family Room to serve the needs of families who have a hospitalized child.

The Stony Brook Children's Hospital space opened in August of 2013, and a family respite lounge was opened next to the NICU in 2022. These respite lounges give families of hospitalized children a calm, restful place to unwind while remaining close to their child. The facility includes a fully stocked kitchenette, private showers, laundry facilities and laptops with Internet access. 

Ronald McDonald Family Room Amenities

The NICU is where some of Suffolk County’s smallest and sickest babies receive the expert care that they need. For many visitors, particularly parents, a NICU can feel like a very strange and stressful environment.

Our Ronald McDonald Family Room has been specially designed to give families a homier feel and a quiet refuge within the NICU department.  

The respite room includes a comfortable new lounge and kitchen area stocked with snacks and drinks, bathroom facilities with a shower, and fully stocked laundry room. It also gives parents the opportunity to meet other parents going through similar experiences, and to access support at a whole new level.

For babies in the NICU, there may be a long recovery time, so many parents must return to work while their child is still in the hospital. The kitchenette, laundry and bathroom facilities are available 20 hours a day to suit the needs of our parents and families. Ronald McDonald House Charities New York Metro keeps the kitchen fully stocked and makes our families feel welcomed.

Learn about the Ronald McDonald House, scheduled to open in 2026.

Family Room Wish List

You can help keep the Family Room stocked and ready for families by donating pantry items, cleaning supplies, kitchen and bathroom supplies or gift cards for local supermarkets.

To help maintain integrity, please be sure that all items are new and in their original packaging.

  • Pantry items: Snack foods (chips, pretzels, crackers and cookies - snack size/individual pre-packaged)
  • Cleaning Supplies: Liquid hand soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener sheets and lysol wipes
  • Kitchen: Dishwashing liquid, paper towels, plastic cups (hot and cold), plastic or paper plates, aluminum foil, saran wrap, plastic utensils and large garbage bags (white or black)
  • Bathroom Supplies: Small bar soap, small toothpaste, toothbrush, small shampoo and conditioner
  • Gift Cards (cards in increments of $10, $15, $20, $25):
    • Waldbaums
    • Pathmark
    • Stop & Shop
    • Target

Visit the Ronald McDonald House Charities website for more information on how to donate goods or give in other ways.

Back to Top