A new partnership between Lutheran Care and Ronald McDonald House South and Central Australia is helping families navigate the financial challenges of having an ill or injured child requiring treatment away from home.
The giggle of a toddler being hoisted up into the air. The happy crash of pieces from a game of oversized Connect Four. The instantly recognisable melody of the Bluey theme tune… they’re the sounds of family and fun at Ronald McDonald House in Adelaide.
Amongst the joy pervading this colourful, purpose-built space, it’s easy for an outsider to forget these families are going through one of the toughest patches imaginable – the illness or injury of their child or sibling, which has brought them to this temporary home away from home.
Ronald McDonald House is an international charity known for providing accommodation and essential services that support families when they have to travel for their child to receive specialist pediatric care, so they can stay together during a child’s treatment journey.
Ronald McDonald House spans more than 60 countries and regions worldwide. The House on Melbourne Street in North Adelaide is one of 17 in Australia and located just 198 metres from The Women’s and Children’s Hospital. With its foosball table, a rocket chair and a fairylight-lit family dining area, it’s a sanctuary for families. Those staying there can connect with other families who truly understand what they’re going through. There are programs to support wellbeing, and others that keep children connected to education whilst they’re receiving treatment or supporting their sibling in Adelaide. The place is full of trained volunteers and staff, an ever changing menu of delicious home cooked meals, which means one less thing to worry about at a time when worry is unfortunately the status quo.
On top of the unimaginable stress of having a child requiring medical treatment, families often face additional pressures from being uprooted from their home community. One or both parents may need to take time away from work to support their child, and family, meaning income is often reduced or stops altogether. At the same time, they are left managing ongoing financial commitments such as rent, mortgage, car loans and other essential expenses, all while facing the uncertainty of how long they will need to remain in Adelaide.
Research commissioned by Ronald McDonald House Australia highlights the financial burden many families face when accessing specialist treatment away from home. Among parents living in regional and rural communities, 63% said their family would experience significant or severe financial stress if their child required treatment elsewhere, with travel costs, accommodation expenses and lost income among the key challenges.
Lutheran Care is very proud to partner with Ronald McDonald House South and Central Australia to help families navigate the financial challenges that can arise when a child is ill or injured and receiving treatment away from home. As part of the partnership, one of Lutheran Care’s experienced Financial Counsellors is now available to provide free financial advice and support to families staying at the House in Adelaide one day per week.
Ronald McDonald House South and Central Australia Chief Executive Officer, Melissa Monkhouse, said the partnership was built on a shared commitment to supporting families through some of life’s most challenging circumstances.
“Lutheran Care and Ronald McDonald House South and Central Australia are deeply aligned in our values, with both organisations focused on removing barriers and supporting people with compassion, respect and understanding.
“What makes this partnership so meaningful is that it extends beyond financial wellbeing support. Lutheran Care has become a trusted partner, working alongside us to strengthen our support for families and helping us create a greater impact through our shared commitment to care, connection, and community.
“Together, we’re working to ensure more families can access the support they need, when and where they need it most.”
Since late May, Lutheran Care’s Senior Practitioner Financial Wellbeing Anna O’Loughlin has offered services on site at the House every Thursday. She has supported families with a few formal Financial Counselling sessions, but sometimes what the families need is more of an informal chat about their concerns.
“Referral comes through the family services team or the families just come and see me,” Anna shares.
“My door is always open.”
Financial counselling is a free, confidential, independent service designed to support people who are experiencing financial hardship or struggling with debt. It is delivered by qualified financial counsellors who typically help with:
- Understanding debts and negotiating with creditors
- Budgeting and managing bills
- Navigating hardship programs
- Understanding rights around debt collection
- Accessing emergency relief or support services
- Dealing with financial impacts of life events like the illness of a family member.
Anna has recently worked with a family who had to travel down to Adelaide from the Top End for their son to access treatment for cancer. One parent had to quit work to be with the son, whilst the other parent continues to work up north, so their income was effectively halved. She has been helping them work on a plan around how to manage continuing to pay their loans.
Generally speaking, Anna can discuss grants families may be eligible for, how to access help from Centrelink, services available from the hospital, and support with negotiating with banks or other creditors when there are hardship circumstances. Anna can also offer referral pathways to other services that might be beneficial.
One thing Anna often has to help families with is getting them to accept help; to understand they deserve it.
“Allow people to help and support you,” is Anna’s message to these families. “It’s your turn. One day it will be someone else’s turn.”
Anna’s own lived experience helps her in this role. She knows firsthand how hard it can be.
“We were a Ronald McDonald House family,” she says.
After her son was diagnosed with a life threatening illness, Anna and her family had to move from Adelaide to New South Wales so her son could access treatment in Sydney.
They stayed at a Ronald McDonald House in Randwick for six months, with her husband and son’s two siblings. He was six at the time. Fortunately, their son has fully recovered, and is now 25.
“You might have a mortgage, and you can’t work. You don’t know when the start date (for treatment) and the end date is. You can’t plan anything. Every day and every week something changes.”
Anna encourages families experiencing hardship to call it out early and get help.
“Banks are really understanding,” she said.
“Don’t wait until it’s so bad you can’t sleep at night.”
Lutheran Care’s Financial Wellbeing services in South Australia and the Northern Territory support people experiencing financial hardship through free advice, budgeting skills, information, advocacy, and programs such as the No Interest Loans Scheme (NiLS).
For information about Lutheran Care’s Financial Wellbeing services, click here.
For more information about Ronald McDonald House, visit: https://ronaldmcdonaldhousesca.org.au/