Parents embark on an incredible journey with the birth of a child—a path filled with exciting moments and endless adventures. Every moment, from lullabies to life lessons, becomes a new chapter in a story of growth, resilience and hope.
Along this journey, pediatricians are there to walk beside families every step of the way. Pediatricians are more than doctors—they are trusted guides and lifelong partners in a child's health and well-being. They celebrate milestones, offer reassurance during difficult times and provide expert care that helps children grow strong in body, mind and spirit. They are a steady presence in times of uncertainty, stepping up to help parents navigate challenging times.
And behind every dedicated pediatrician, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stands strong—providing steadfast support and guidance and ensuring that every child has the healthiest, brightest future possible. Throughout the AAP's
95+ years since its founding, the collective efforts of its members have driven a record of unrelenting progress for children's health, which continues to motivate and inspire us today.
A snapshot of AAP advocacy priorities
At the federal level, the AAP advocates for a wide range of issues that impact children, families and pediatricians. The AAP's advocacy, driven by its evidence-based policies, extends to all 3 branches of the federal government. (In photo, above, AAP Past President Susan Kressly, MD, FAAP, testifies before national lawmakers on behalf of children's health.) Below is a snapshot of a few AAP advocacy priorities:
Health care access & coverage
One of the AAP's long-standing advocacy priorities is ensuring children have access to high-quality, age-appropriate, and affordable health insurance. This includes working with Congress, the Administration, state policymakers and within the judicial system to protect and strengthen
Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Affordable Care Act.
Children have unique health care needs. Health insurance coverage needs to be designed with this in mind, setting them up for success and lifelong health. In addition, the AAP continues to support efforts to reach and enroll eligible children in health insurance coverage and ensure that parents have health insurance, so they can keep themselves and their families healthy.
Firearm violence prevention
The AAP has been involved for decades in advocacy efforts to address firearm violence as a public health issue and advance policies that keep children, families and communities safe.
The AAP's firearm violence prevention advocacy priorities include:
Gun violence prevention research: Federally funded research helps us understand what puts children at risk for injuries and deaths from guns so we can use this research to develop solutions to keep children safe. We need to continue federal funding for this vital work.
Stronger firearm safety laws: Enacting common-sense firearm safety legislation at the federal, state, and local levels—including strengthening background checks, supporting effective extreme risk protection orders (ERPO or red flag laws), encouraging safe firearm storage, banning assault weapons and addressing firearm trafficking—can help keep children safe.
Violence prevention and resilience: The AAP supports programs addressing the needs of at-risk children and children exposed to violence to address trauma and promote healing.
Child and adolescent healthy mental and emotional development
The AAP advocates for policies that support a comprehensive approach to children's mental health, addressing prevention, early treatment and crisis response.
Children and teens should have access to affordable, comprehensive mental and behavioral health care. The AAP supports efforts to make new, dedicated investments designed to support a full range of pediatric mental and behavioral health services across multiple settings, and to grow the pediatric mental health workforce to deliver this essential care. The AAP also advocates against billing and payment restrictions that make it harder to provide mental and behavioral health care.
Vaccines
The AAP advocates for policies and programs that help ensure all children are vaccinated and that all communities are protected from devastating vaccine-preventable diseases.
Pediatricians are a key source of accurate, evidence-based information about vaccines for parents. The AAP is leading efforts to counter vaccine misinformation, increase vaccine confidence and emphasize the overall safety and efficacy of vaccinations.
It is vital that all children and families can access vaccines, and the AAP is calling on policymakers to protect federal programs that make that possible. Ensuring appropriate payment for vaccine administration in pediatric practices is essential to ensuring pediatric vaccine access.
Online protections for children and teens
Digital technology plays an outsized role in the lives of today's children and adolescents. It is critical that we create a digital ecosystem that is most supportive of their health and well-being.
The AAP is advocating for policies to protect young people online by:
Requiring digital platforms to prioritize the well-being of children and adolescents
Updating and strengthening online privacy protections
Banning targeted advertising to young people
Curbing manipulative design practices that exploit developmental vulnerabilities
Preventing the spread of harmful content through algorithmic recommendations
Providing families with new tools and safeguards to exercise greater control over their digital experience
Investing in research to understand the impact of digital platforms on youth
Immigrant child health
The AAP is a voice for all children—regardless of where they or their parents were born, their documentation status or nationality. The AAP is committed to advancing policies that protect the best interests and rights of immigrant children and families to health, well-being and safety.
In accordance with internationally accepted rights of the child, immigrant and refugee children should be treated with dignity and respect and should not be exposed to conditions that may harm or traumatize them.
The AAP is a leading voice supporting policies that protect and speak out against other policies that are detrimental to immigrant children's health—including
family separation, detention, and policies that create barriers to accessing health care, nutrition and housing assistance.
Whether children in immigrant and refugee families are seeking safety, legal permanent residency, or citizenship, they deserve access to quality healthcare, nutrition and housing, and should be treated with dignity and respect.
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