In November, the Ronald McDonald House in Leeuwarden will be closing due to a lack of demand for accommodations.
Ronald McDonald Houses are a location for families of sick children to stay in the vicinity of the hospital. According to the Leeuwarder Courant, occupancy levels at the Leeuwarden facility, which has been open for 14 years, is roughly 50 percent of what it was four years ago, and that trend is expected to continue in years to come.
The Leeuwarden location has seven rooms and two staff members, as well as a large team of volunteers. From 1 November onward, families can stay in designated family rooms at the Medisch Centrum Leeuwarden. The Ronald McDonald Children’s Fund vacation home in Beesterzwaag will remain open.
There are 366 Ronald McDonald houses worldwide in 43 countries. There are 13 in the Netherlands, including Groningen and Amsterdam. According to the kinderfonds website, 6,483 families stayed in a Ronald McDonald House in the Netherlands in 2016.
