Family-centered care.

SEVERALRECENT REPORTS describe the important role medical homes play in ensuring favorable outcomes for children. Central to the success of a medical home is the practice of family-centered care (FCC). The purpose of this commentary is to describe the evolution of FCC, provide an updated definition of FCC, and discuss implications for practice, programs, and policy. The development of the FCC definition presented here spans at least 2 decades, beginning in 1987 with Surgeon General Koop’s call for “family-centered, communitybased care for children with special health care needs and their families,” a message that resonated with families and professionals alike. The family community, led by Family Voices, took the FCC message to heart and encouraged endorsements of the concept by health practitioner organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians, other consumer organizations, including the Institute for Family Centered Care, and agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education. Although early development of FCC focused on children with special health care needs, recent discussions have emphasized the importance of FCC for all children. Throughout the long history of FCC, the federalMaternal and Child Health Bureau provided leadership in the development of the concept and ultimately its incorporation into the legislative authority for the Title V program. In 2004, it sponsored a series of meetings to refine the FCC concept. Over 30 individuals representing family and provider organizations, researchers, and policy makers participated in those meetings. After much discussion, a consensus emerged around the following updated definition: