The American Academy of Pediatrics Is Investing in Pediatric Long COVID

Key Points

Families know something is wrong. Their child gets sick with COVID. Weeks pass. Months pass. The child cannot go to school. Cannot play. Cannot think clearly. But when they bring their child to a pediatrician, the doctor has no framework for what they are seeing. No resources to offer. No path forward.

They need clear guidance on symptoms, medical care, and school support. To create useful resources, we first need to understand the barriers they face and what information would help.

That is why Long Covid Families is partnering with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, with support from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, to develop bilingual family resources in Los Angeles County. A Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) planning grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) funds the work.

The grant is an investment in pediatric Long COVID from the national organization representing 67,000 pediatricians. CATCH supports pediatricians who work with community partners to improve children’s access to medical care. The project runs from June 2026 through May 2027.

How the work unfolds

We start by listening. We will survey families about barriers to medical care and education, then meet with caregivers in Los Angeles to understand how those barriers show up in their community.

Next, we will bring what we learn to the hospitals, pediatricians, schools, and public health offices that serve children with Long COVID. We will share what we heard and ask how their systems work. These conversations will show what families need and what the resources should explain.

A report will document the barriers we find and what systems need to do differently. That report will serve as evidence for advocacy, showing pediatricians and policymakers where the gaps are.

Its findings will shape resources in English and Spanish that help families navigate these barriers in medical care and school. With these resources, caregivers will understand what to ask for at appointments. They will know what the law requires. They will arrive at school meetings prepared.

One planning grant will not solve the problem, but it places the work inside the systems where change must happen. The project’s findings will also inform work across the country. The goal is to turn families’ experiences into changes that improve children’s access to medical care and education.