How Pediatricians Help Immigrant Children and Families Access Care

Imagine arriving in Chicago with your child who has complex health needs—not knowing the city, the healthcare system, or where to turn for help.

As the days pass, you begin to find small signs of familiarity: neighbors speaking Spanish, the scent of arepas cooking. And eventually, a pediatrician steps forward with genuine curiosity and care.

Recently, Chicago pediatrician Dr. Sarah Messmer set out to understand the specific needs of newly arrived families with infants or with children who have disabilities.

With support from a Community Access to Child Health planning grant, she and her team partnered with local organizations to create an advisory group and host immigrant parent focus groups.

Many of these parents, who are among the 50,000 to arrive in Chicago since 2022, shared that they migrated specifically to seek specialized care their children couldn’t access at home.

However, maneuvering through the U.S. healthcare system proved difficult and isolating. Families arrived without insurance, housing, or income. When their children did receive care, many parents felt left out due to language barriers and rushed appointments.

The focus groups, which gathered 61 parents over eight months, became a place of comfort and connection.

Families could bring their kids instead of worrying about finding childcare. Local partners provided Colombian and Venezuelan food. A nearby clinic offered developmental screening appointments alongside the focus group meetings so families didn't need to plan an additional outing. And perhaps most importantly, parents met others who understood their complex journeys.

Now Dr. Messmer's team is creating a bilingual report with culturally sensitive recommendations for nonprofits, hospitals, and care navigators.

Ultimately, she hopes to co-design a program that improves access to coordinated care and supports parents’ mental health and basic needs. The community advisory board will remain a central feature for feedback and accountability.

Donations to the Friends of Children Fund helped families find community and children receive the care their parents journeyed so far to find.

From the start, the AAP has been dedicated to the health of all children. Gifts to the AAP continue to help ensure children receive the care they deserve, no matter where they were born.