Many families are severely socially and economically disadvantaged. They may not know where the rent is coming from next month, or even how to arrange transportation to their doctor's office. Dealing with a sick family member often becomes too much to handle. Church points out that healthy children in the family may feel neglected. They also may worry excessively about the health of a brother, sister, or parent.
Schoolwork can suffer.
By far the greatest trauma suffered by children affected by AIDS is created by loss and their fear of abandonment. Church emphasizes that psychosocial support in the form of counseling and group therapy is essential to help children deal with issues of grief and emotional insecurity. And he reports that those types of services are typically unavailable to the economically deprived segment of the population most devastated by the disease. Fortunately, Church reports that the incidence of pediatric AIDS has dropped precipitously in recent years. She has been raising money for AIDS since 1984, and is an ardent advocate of AIDS prevention and education.