Given the progress of outpatient care, children who are hospitalized are usually very sick, and unfortunately the best professional to deal with their condition is often not in their local community. Families frequently face emotional, management, and financial challenges in their efforts to be near their sick child. Ronald McDonald House (RMH) is a place for families to call home and live close by their hospitalized child at little to no cost. This chapter describes the Family Support Services (FSS) program that offers comprehensive psychosocial support to families and staff staying at RMH. As a result of FSS, RMH families felt support and believed it helped them to improve their family and relationship functioning. FSS also facilitated family members' more active participation in their sick child’s care and, according to caregivers, improved their child’s recovery.

Chronic pediatric illnesses are common and they are often educationally consequential. Many chronically ill children experience severe educational impairments. Empirical research on the pediatric illness–schooling interface notwithstanding, theoretical endeavors on the topic are largely missing. This chapter presents a theoretical model comprising four interrelated dimensions. These are the nature and severity of the pediatric illness itself (e.g., asthma, epilepsy), educational challenges common to each illness (e.g., direct neurocognitive effects, uninformed teachers), students’ personal strengths (e.g., emotional resilience), and environmental supports (e.g., social supports at school). These three dimensions are hypothesized to mutually determine the nature and severity of any adverse educational impacts (e.g., academic or attendance problems). The model is abbreviated as P-CSI, to denote Pediatric, Challenges, Strengths/Supports, and Impacts. It is argued that the P-CSI model helps contextualize existing information on prevention and intervention. It may also reveal gaps to be addressed by future research concerning pediatric illnesses at school.