California Offers a Pediatric Palliative Care Pilot Program

Five counties in California have been selected to prepare a new palliative care program for children with life-threatening illnesses. This would allow children to receive palliative and hospice care, while still continuing with aggressive medical treatment. California's pilot program can offer an alternative to parents who struggle with choosing hospice for their children. An article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel notes:

"Dying is not a prescribed science, especially with kids," said Ann Carney Pomper, executive director of Hospice Caring Project of Santa Cruz County, which takes care of five to 10 children each year. "It's difficult for parents to have to say 'yes' to some kind of indication that death is near.

"With the waiver, 'what is best for my kid?' can be the question," Pomper said.