The Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH), in partnership with the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO), is pleased to share a new set of documents to provide guidance and information to healthcare providers,including physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, and others caring for children and their families at or near end-of-life.

The impending death of a child is a tragedy and requires thoughtful and precise care of the whole family. Two documents have been developed to provide guidance and information to healthcare providers on approaching the expected death of a child. These documents were first developed in 2016 and recently updated to reflect current best practices for paediatric palliative care delivery and to facilitate inclusion of disclaimers on how or where to seek advice regarding care of children at or near end-of-life.

Documents can be found below or in our Pediatric Resources (Guidelines and Tools) section:

1. Approaching the End-of-Life: Pediatric Palliative Care Information for Healthcare Providers - Expert Opinion Guidance from the Ontario Pediatric Palliative Care Steering Committee: 2023 Update
2. Symptom Management for Children Near/At End-of-Life - Expert Opinion Guidance from the Ontario Pediatric Palliative Care Steering Committee: 2023 Update

These documents were developed by the Provincial Paediatric Palliative Care Steering Committee’s End-of-Life Symptom Management Guide and End-of-Life Care Fact Sheet Working Group, jointly led by POGO and PCMCH. Together with the Provincial Paediatric Palliative Care Steering Committee Co-Chairs, Drs. Mark Greenberg and Adam Rapoport, we are grateful to the many individuals and organizations who provided their time, feedback, and direction on these documents.