Securing Kids' Futures Requires Strengthening the Pediatric Workforce

Pediatric health care is not interchangeable with adult care.

And neither is the workforce who delivers it.

Behind every moment of care is a pediatric provider with specialized training, deep expertise, and a commitment to children and families.

But today, children’s hospitals face significant workforce shortages.

In a 2023 Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) assessment, children’s hospitals reported vacancies of 12 months or longer for some pediatric specialists.

Recruitment and retention have become increasingly difficult. Pediatric providers require years of specialized training yet face lower reimbursement rates and limited pediatric-specific workforce support.

As these challenges continue to grow, they threaten access to care and outcomes for children.

Across the country, children’s hospitals are leading innovative solutions to build a workforce that can meet children’s needs today and into the future.

Building the pipeline

The pediatric workforce of tomorrow depends on who we engage today. That’s why it’s so important to expand awareness and access to careers.

Children’s Hospital Colorado launched the Medical Career Collaborative (MC²) in 1999 to introduce high school students to pediatric health care careers through paid internships, mentorship, certification opportunities, and career coaching. The program exposes students to a wide range of roles from nursing and medicine to research and public health.

Early exposure helps students see themselves in pediatric careers they may have never considered. It broadens the pipeline and builds a strong foundation for a workforce that urgently needs new talent.

Bolstering pediatric training

Pediatric providers require additional training to treat children with serious, complex, or chronic conditions across all stages of physical and emotional development.

They learn to adjust care and use special-sized equipment for each stage of a child’s development. They also learn how to help patient families and caregivers who may need emotional support.

Cincinnati Children’s established a dedicated education unit in partnership with the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing to better prepare students for pediatric care. The future nurses train in a highly collaborative environment where academic faculty and clinical staff work together to support learning and skill development.

The partnership connects education more closely with practice to ensure new nurses are better prepared to enter pediatric settings. Programs like this translate directly into stronger readiness, greater confidence, and long-term workforce stability.

Supporting recruitment and retention

Delivering pediatric clinical care is especially labor-intensive and can be emotionally challenging.

When clinicians leave, children’s hospitals struggle since fewer trained pediatric providers are available to backfill those positions. Retaining them in high-stress, high-acuity environments is critical.

For example, Children’s of Alabama had high turnover in its inpatient behavioral health unit.

In response, hospital leaders created an acute behavioral health certification program. A multidisciplinary team developed a curriculum focused on de-escalation techniques, ethical communication, self-care, and common diagnoses.

The program has reduced turnover by 43%, increased engagement by 80%, and increased the hospital’s workforce size.

Investing in the future

The future of children’s health is directly tied to the strength of the pediatric workforce.

Children’s hospitals continue to invest their own limited resources to build pipelines, strengthen training, and support recruitment and retention.

But they cannot solve this challenge alone. Without sustained federal support, pediatric workforce shortages will persist.

When we invest in pediatric providers, we protect access to care and secure a healthier future for children.

Because when it comes to children’s health, the workforce isn’t just part of the system. It is the system.

Read CHA’s new federal policy blueprint to learn how policymakers can bolster the pediatric workforce, increasing access and improving care for kids.