Orienting child- and family-centered care toward equity

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health Services
• Health Equity Research
• Family-Centered Care Models

Background:

• Child- and family-centered care (CFCC) is a global standard in pediatric services.
• Existing CFCC models lack examination within socially and structurally disadvantaged populations.
• Health inequities disproportionately affect children facing racialization, poverty, and power imbalances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine CFCC discourses concerning at-risk populations in high-income nations.
• To propose an evidence-based, equity-oriented framework for CFCC.
• To enhance the conceptualization, implementation, and evaluation of CFCC for inclusive care.

Main Methods:

• Critical discourse analysis of CFCC literature.
• Examination of Canadian healthcare context as a case study.
• Development of an equity-oriented care framework.

Main Results:

• Dominant CFCC approaches may not adequately address systemic inequities.
• An equity orientation is crucial for CFCC to be truly inclusive.
• The proposed framework offers a pathway to equitable CFCC.

Conclusions:

• CFCC requires an explicit equity lens to mitigate health disparities.
• An equity-oriented CFCC model can improve outcomes for vulnerable children.
• This approach offers a more inclusive and effective strategy for pediatric care.