Limited visiting times and difficulties in overnight stays for parents and siblings. Lack of schooling and recreational facilities in hospitals. In the eyes of the children and their parents, attention to these and similar matters is not only a demonstration of the doctors' concern, but also of the quality of care they provide. Medical care of chronically ill children is important, and everything should be done to improve it. However, as I expressed earlier, professional care is only a small part of a child's life.
Most activities take place within the lay social network, and most within the family itself.
This knowledge, then, should have a profound impact on the organisation and delivery of curative and preventive pediatric care. A prominent role of the professional is to support families in their efforts to care for their children. This is especially important for families with chronically ill and handicapped children. The strains for these families are enormous, and ultimately, it is the families who have to carry the final burden and responsibility for the handicapped child. All European countries have accepted this strategy, and one can see the impact in some of the health laws and regulations.