LAUSR

The linkage between family-centered care and improved health outcomes for children and their families is well-established. Yet challenges remain in the implementation of family-centered care for children and their families in practice. Creating partnerships with parents is integral to family-centered care and reflects the complexity and multidimensional nature of caregiving (Christian, 2014, 2016a). This linkage between family-centered care and health outcomes is particularly critical for children with chronic conditions, physical disabilities, and/or special healthcare needs (Christian, 2010, 2016a). Indeed, families are challenged with balancing the caregiving demands of their child's chronic condition as well as coping with these challenges (Christian, 2016b, 2016c). Family-centered care is recommended by professional associations as reflected in the Pediatric Nursing: Scope and standards of practice joint statement by the American Nurses Association, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, and Society of Pediatric Nurses (2008), as well as by the Family Pediatrics Taskforce Report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (2003). The challenges to the implementation of family-centered care are addressed through the research and quality improvement projects included in this issue. Evidence generated through nursing research and then translated into practice improves health outcomes for children and their families, and the quality of pediatric nursing care (Hockenberry, Wilson, & Rodgers, 2019; Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2014; Polit & Beck, 2017). Additional evidence in this issue supports the linkage between family-centered care and improved health outcomes and quality of care for children and their families. In this issue of the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 16 articles present research and quality improvement projects primarily focused on family-centered care for children and families, as demonstrated by: (a) a secondary analysis of qualitative findings of parents' perspectives about question-asking beyond education about the child's cancer diagnosis; (b) a qualitative study exploring perspectives of parents and healthcare professionals with respect to collaboration in managing chronic conditions in children in the United Kingdom; (c) a survey of adolescents and young adults with Cystic Fibrosis compared to perspectives of parents/caregivers about transition readiness to selfcare management and adult healthcare; (d) a descriptive qualitative exploring pre-operative expectations of nurses and parents/caregivers with respect to children's post-operative pain and comfort after cardiac