The following points provide information on how hospice and palliative care for children differs from adult facilities, and what special offers are available:

• If desired, hospice and palliative care for children can begin as early as the time of diagnosis, often accompanying the child and the family for a long time, up to and beyond the child’s death.
• Care and support always involve the whole family, with siblings included and their needs being taken into account.
• Age, illness and stage of development are being considered when providing care.
• Children may be affected by a wide range of diseases, including many rare conditions and some types of tumours.
• Children have specific wishes and needs that vary by age – babies for example have different needs than 17-year-olds.
• Illnesses often last a long time, and symptoms may change over time.
• For rare diseases, little may be known about how they progress and their treatment.
• In general, care is provided over a longer period of time than it is for adults.

Contents and principles of hospice and palliative care for children:

• Pediatric hospice and palliative care should be available to all children and their families who need it, regardless of the family's financial means.
• A team of members of various professional groups with special training in pediatric palliative care looks after the child and their family. Volunteer companions are involved in the care.
• Where possible, the child’s family home should be the child’s primary place of care.
• Every child should have access to professional medical, psychological, and physical treatment for pain and symptoms around the clock, 365 days a year.
• Care should be tailored to the child's age, stage of development, needs and abilities.
• Children should be allowed to participate in decisions about their care in accordance with their age and development.
• In any medical decision, the child's best interests are the most important consideration.
• The legal guardians, as well as the child and their siblings, must be given comprehensive information appropriate to their age and stage of development.
• Respite offers for the family, even if only on an hourly or daily basis, are important and should be offered both at home and outside the home.
• Grief counselling must be offered from the time of diagnosis, throughout the illness, at death and for as long as needed afterwards.