Originally published: AAP, 28 May 2026
New research from Ronald McDonald House Australia highlights the compounding impact of distance and cost-of-living pressures on families supporting a child’s medical care
SYDNEY, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Regional and rural families are bearing a disproportionate cost if their child needs specialist medical care, with new research from Ronald McDonald House Australia highlighting how distance and rising living costs can compound an already challenging time for families.
As cost-of-living pressures continue to be felt across Australia, the research exposes how families living outside of metropolitan areas are being hit the hardest, being forced to travel long distances for treatment, placing additional financial, emotional and logistical pressures on parents already facing an unimaginable situation.
Nearly two thirds of regional and rural parents (63%) say their family would experience significant or severe financial strain if their child required specialist treatment away from home, driven largely by the non‑medical costs associated with distance. Families in rural or regional areas are almost 5 times more likely than those in metropolitan Australia to travel 100 kilometres or more for specialist care, it’s a pressure many families must face. While families travel because specialist care is essential, the experience can be uniquely demanding. Time away from work, separation from siblings and the need to maintain household responsibilities back home all add layers of complexity to a child’s treatment journey.
The financial impact of being away from home is particularly significant in the current cost-of-living environment. The biggest pressures include travel, accommodation and lost income, with 48% saying they would need to dip into savings, 44% indicating they would need to cut essential household spending and 34% reporting they may need to take on debt. For many families, these pressures sit outside of the medical system itself but are critical to how they experience their child’s care.
The research also highlights the emotional toll of time away from home. Nearly three in four Australian parents (72%) say being away during their child’s treatment would place high or severe emotional strain on their family.
The ripple effects can extend into education too, with over 1 in 3 Australian parents (36%) saying their child could miss school or fall behind during treatment.
Despite how widespread these pressures are, many families don’t know what support is available at the point they need it most. Almost three quarters of Australian parents (74%) say they are unaware or only vaguely aware of accommodation and family support services, such as Ronald McDonald House, available during a child’s hospital stay.
Research was conducted by Pureprofile among 1,015 Australian parents with children under 18, between 22 – 26 April 2026.
