Ronald McDonald House applied for the grant from the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation late last year to help their guests.

The grant paid for a Hyundai Tucson, which families can use to access Orange Health Service and even the Orange CBD if they needed to buy groceries.

Ronald McDonald House executive officer Rebecca Walsh said transport options were limited, particularly after dark, and the car would keep families safe.

"What's happened for us, we had a family who was airlifted in from northern NSW so mum's here by herself and we've been able to transport her during the day to and from the hospital and uptown," she said.

"When we spoke to mum's partner, he was so relieved we were able to support her - it has proven its worth."

Ms Walsh said there was another mother potentially coming from further west via public transport, who did not have her own car.

"If we have a mum, for example, with a baby in the special care nursery, we don't want her walking up to the hospital in the dark," she said.

The house provides a home-away-from-home for seriously ill children and their families while they undergo treatment in hospital.

Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation chair Philip Neat said in a statement the foundation aimed to ensure people had access to the health services they needed.

"Patients and their families who need to access the services at RMHC are entitled to access the best medical services available while ensuring their safety to and from these services," he said.

Ms Walsh said the house had changed its operations to cope with coronavirus social distancing requirements, including a roster system for the use of common areas and strict cleaning regulations.

In the case of the car, families handle their own luggage, sit in the backseat and tissues and hand sanitiser are readily provided.

Ronald McDonald House in Orange provides a warm and supportive home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children needing treatment at Orange Health Service.

The house can accommodate eight families each night.

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