Dayton Ronald McDonald House to triple in size; $21M raised for project

DAYTON — Ronald McDonald House Charities of Dayton is expanding.

RMDH announced Wednesday that they received a $13 million gift from Ohio’s Medicaid Manages Care Plans, the largest gift ever received by RMHC Dayton.

The $13 million combined with the $8 million in community gifts raised to-date completed the first phase of their capital campaign and will allow for construction on a new facility to begin more than six months ahead of schedule.

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Plans to raise $25 million for a new 42-room facility on the House’s current property were announced earlier this year. RMHC officials said the current 14-room facility across from Dayton Children’s Hospital’s main campus is unable to meet the nonprofit’s growing needs.

Rita Cyr, CEO of RMHC Dayton, said the nonprofit had to turn away 63 percent of families that turned to them for housing last year.

“Expanding our capacity is significant to the strategic growth of our region’s healthcare sector and necessary to support the hundreds of families who travel to Dayton each year for their child’s medical care,” Cyr said.

The new 40,000 square-foot facility will enable holistic, wraparound serviced that support family-centered care and help improve health outcomes for pediatric patients, according to RMHC. It will consist of two finished floors, a partial basement and a shelled third floor that will be ready to accommodate future growth. Officials said finishing the shelled third floor would be part of the second phase of their project.

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Dayton Ronald McDonald House to triple in size; $21M raised for project RMHC Aerial Rendering (Courtesy of Ronald McDonald House Charities)

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According to officials, RMCH Dayton has become an important hub for pediatric healthcare with increased outpatient and specialty services, including the addition of Shriners Children’s Ohio which moved from Cincinnati to Dayton in 2021.

“More than half of the families Ronald McDonald House serves are Medicaid eligible. Supporting every family’s needs, while providing essential health care for their children is the goal,” Maureen Corcoran, Ohio Medicaid Director, said.

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