Children’s health is inseparable from the wellbeing, capacity, and experiences of their families. This session on Family-Centred Pediatric Care explores how to move beyond individual child encounters toward models that treat families as partners, decision-makers, and sources of expertise. The aim is to create respectful, collaborative relationships that improve satisfaction, adherence, and outcomes, while also acknowledging the realities of time constraints and complex systems.

Attendees of Pediatrics Conference often seek practical tools to bring principles into everyday practice. In this session, participants will examine core elements of family-centred care: information sharing, participation, dignity and respect, and collaboration at all levels—from bedside to boardroom. Real-life examples will demonstrate how simple changes in communication, environment, and workflow can make families feel welcomed, informed, and included, even in busy hospital wards or crowded outpatient clinics.

A central focus is developing sustainable pediatric family-centred care models that work across inpatient, outpatient, community, and virtual settings. Participants will discuss strategies such as bedside rounding with families, shared care planning, structured family meetings, and co-designed educational materials. The session will highlight how to involve parents and caregivers in safety initiatives, quality improvement projects, advisory councils, and service redesign, ensuring that policies reflect the lived experiences of families.

Attention will also be given to equity, culture, and emotional burden. Attendees will explore how to adapt family-centred approaches for families affected by poverty, migration, language barriers, and discrimination, and how to support caregivers experiencing stress, grief, or trauma. The session will consider how to balance parental involvement with child and adolescent autonomy, especially around sensitive topics. By the end, participants will have concrete examples, phrases, and frameworks to strengthen partnership with families in every clinical encounter.