Family-Centered, Community-Based, Coordinated Care for Children With Special Needs

Assuring that all children with special health care needs have access to family-centered, community-based, coordinated care, as described by Brewer et al in this issue of Pediatrics, is a timely and commendable goal that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shares. Pediatricians have a major role to play in the shaping of these services and assuring their accessibility by the children who need them. Last winter, the AAP held three task force meetings to discuss the role of pediatricians vis-á-vis the case manager/care coordinator. A consensus emerged from these meetings that a variety of roles should be available to pediatricians, depending upon the child's diagnosis, the pediatrician's training and interest, the skills of the family, and the community services available.