Understanding Children's Palliative Care
Children’s palliative care can be challenging to talk about - or even think about. For many of us, we don’t have any personal experience or understanding of why it might be needed, who might benefit or how it actually looks in practice.
This post sheds light on common questions about the critically important work in children’s palliative care (CPC). By breaking down myths and clarifying definitions, we aim to bring more people into the conversation with confidence. Our vision at Global Treehouse is clear: every child, regardless of their health condition, should receive the palliative care support they need to live life to the fullest. Our mission is to catalyse change, scale investments and build a supportive community to advance this care globally.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is human-centred care designed to improve the quality of life for people with serious illness and their families, at any stage of illness. Palliative care can include pain and other physical symptom management, mental and spiritual health support, addressing social and practical needs and coordinating care. It is not about giving up — palliative care is about ensuring quality of life.
What is children’s palliative care?
Children’s palliative care refers to the full continuum of care for children living with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. Children’s palliative care provides these children and their families with the space, both emotional and physical, to enjoy the best possible quality of life. Components of this care include relief from distressing symptoms, pain management, respite breaks for families, care at the end of life and bereavement support.
For children specifically, this care is vital for ensuring unwell children receive the essential elements all children need, such as friendship, education, fun, activities and play.
Where is children’s palliative care occurring?
Palliative care is an approach to healthcare that focuses on the quality of life for patients (including children) and their families. It is delivered across diverse settings, including care at home, community-based centres, hospitals and hospices.
Hospices are essential because they provide end-of-life care, including care for children. Many hospices also offer a range of other essential touchpoints, such as helping families learn new skills, providing respite care and intervening during crises.
Is this really a need in the modern world?
Yes, there have been significant advances in children’s health. However, there will always be a need for palliative care to support seriously ill children throughout their entire lives.
In fact, the need is increasing: as technology advances, more children survive with increasingly complex conditions that require ongoing care, which needs to include palliative care. Currently, an estimated 8 million children worldwide require specialised palliative care, affirming this as a worldwide need.
Furthermore, access to children’s palliative care is recognised as a human right. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child affirms that children are entitled to quality health services, including palliative care services. This principle is also central to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and is affirmed by the World Health Assembly. As leaders committed to children's rights, we’re working to ensure all children have access to children’s palliative care if needed.
Why invest in something hard?
While this area can involve tragedy, palliative care systems designed to be human-centred for children and families actually help create joyful, happy places and experiences.
We already have many of the foundational elements for creating strong worldwide systems, including scalable models. We can ensure children's needs are met in ways that respect their autonomy and those of their families, including by innovatively leveraging new solutions.
Creating Impact Together
We at Global Treehouse look forward to continuing the conversation with you! Email us at info@globaltreehouse.foundation.