Excerpts from a paper on policies affecting chronically ill children touch upon such issues as the epidemiology of chronic childhood illness, organization of health services, costs of care, and financing of care. Principles underlying public policy are suggested, and issues for change in existing services are examined. (CL)

The report examines chronic illness in children and considers issues and recommendations for change in public policies and programs affecting chronically ill children and their families. The background chapter notes the significance of the problem, reviews 11 diseases that are representative of the severe chronic illnesses of childhood: juvenile…

The complex special needs of families with chronically ill children will be best met through the development of regionalized systems of care. A national program is proposed in the context of a generic definition of chronic childhood illness, emphasizing coordinated regional efforts which provide services as close to a child's home as possible. The…