Children and families come from diverse cultures, languages, abilities, identities, and family structures, yet health systems are often built around a narrow idea of what a “typical” child or family looks like. Inclusive Pediatric Care focuses on redesigning everyday practice so that no child is marginalised because of disability, neurodivergence, chronic illness, migration status, language, gender identity, or social situation. This session explores how to make clinics, hospitals, and community services physically accessible, emotionally safe, and genuinely responsive to the needs of all children and caregivers.

Clinicians and leaders increasingly look for Pediatrics Conference that move beyond general statements of equity into concrete, clinic-level change. In this session, participants will examine how bias—conscious and unconscious—shapes referral patterns, communication, pain recognition, and treatment decisions. We will explore examples where inclusive approaches improved outcomes for children with disabilities, chronic conditions, and those from marginalised communities, including refugees, indigenous populations, and LGBTQ+ youth. Particular emphasis is placed on listening carefully to children and caregivers about what inclusion means in their context and co-designing improvements with them.

Inclusive practice is not a separate add-on; it is a way of delivering child-friendly healthcare in every encounter. The session will show how to adapt appointment structures, sensory environments, communication styles, and consent processes so more children can participate meaningfully in decisions about their care. Participants will explore strategies for accessible information (plain language, visual supports, interpreters), flexible examination techniques, and team-based planning when children have complex needs. Case examples will highlight how small changes—such as offering quiet waiting options or scheduling longer appointments for high-needs families—can make a major difference.

The session will also address system and policy dimensions: inclusive hiring and training, organisational policies on language access and disability accommodations, and mechanisms for families to report barriers or discrimination safely. Participants will consider how data on access, utilisation, and outcomes can reveal who is being left behind, and how to use that information for quality improvement. By the end, attendees will have practical tools, phrases, and design ideas to make their services more inclusive, equitable, and welcoming for every child and family they serve.