For Parents & Families
What you will find in the pages of this section
Here we aim to help parents and other family members learn about caring for children with chronic and complex conditions and
to become effective partners in their care with physicians and other health care professionals. Such partnerships are the
foundation of the Medical Home approach to care – see About Medical Home to learn more. The following subsections focus on various aspects of assuring the best outcomes for your child.
Learning About Diagnoses
Upon learning about your child's diagnosis, and often after that, you will want more and the latest information about the condition, your child's care, available resources, and much more. This page will help you find reliable health information.
Upon learning about your child's diagnosis, and often after that, you will want more and the latest information about the condition, your child's care, available resources, and much more. This page will help you find reliable health information.
Caring for Children with Chronic Conditions
Helping your child with special health care needs, keeping up with your children who have no special needs, and doing the everyday tasks of filling prescriptions, getting to appointments, working with the insurance company, getting help from schools, and everything else can seem overwhelming. This section offers tools and helpful hints for dealing with daily life, getting organized, advocating for your child, planning for the future, and taking an occasional break from it all.
Helping your child with special health care needs, keeping up with your children who have no special needs, and doing the everyday tasks of filling prescriptions, getting to appointments, working with the insurance company, getting help from schools, and everything else can seem overwhelming. This section offers tools and helpful hints for dealing with daily life, getting organized, advocating for your child, planning for the future, and taking an occasional break from it all.
Education & Schools
Schools can provide needed services and supports for children with special health care needs. This section will help you learn the terms, laws, and processes so you can work with schools more effectively to provide the best education and experience for your child.
Schools can provide needed services and supports for children with special health care needs. This section will help you learn the terms, laws, and processes so you can work with schools more effectively to provide the best education and experience for your child.
Transition Issues
Many parents have questions about what to expect and how to prepare for changes in their children's lives. This section describes many of the transitions your child will face and provides hints and tools to help your family manage them. Youth, teens, and young adults will find answers to some of their questions about growning up and becoming independent. Changes discussed include moving from early intervention to preschool; planning for changes in schools, starting in preschool and finishing in college; getting back to school after a hospitalization; learning skills needed in adulthood, from figuring out driver's license requirements to finding employment; and considering options for guardianship and living arrangements when independence may be limited.
Many parents have questions about what to expect and how to prepare for changes in their children's lives. This section describes many of the transitions your child will face and provides hints and tools to help your family manage them. Youth, teens, and young adults will find answers to some of their questions about growning up and becoming independent. Changes discussed include moving from early intervention to preschool; planning for changes in schools, starting in preschool and finishing in college; getting back to school after a hospitalization; learning skills needed in adulthood, from figuring out driver's license requirements to finding employment; and considering options for guardianship and living arrangements when independence may be limited.