SHANGHAI, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai opened its first Ronald McDonald House in a local hospital Tuesday, providing temporary accommodation to children suffering from serious illnesses and their financially struggling parents.

With a floor space of more than 750 square meters, the Ronald McDonald House inside the Shanghai Children's Medical Center offers 12 family rooms with bathrooms, beds and desks, as well as shared areas for cooking, laundry, dining and recreation.

Funded by a special project under the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, the non-profit shelter initiated by McDonald's China admits children up to 18 years from impoverished families who receive treatment at the medical center.

Established in 1974, the Ronald McDonald House program, often located near top children's hospitals, allows parents far from home stay close to their hospitalized child and benefit from homely comforts without incurring hotel and food costs, according to the charity project.

Currently, there are two Ronald McDonald Houses on the Chinese mainland, one in Shanghai and the other in central China's Hunan Province. Enditem