by Lelach Rave, MD, FAAP, WCAAP Interim Executive Director
As I write this, a devastating budget reconciliation bill has just passed—one that will strip millions of Americans of healthcare coverage and deny millions more access to nutrition. This comes on the heels of a weakened ACIP spreading misinformation instead of science, sowing fear and confusion among parents already facing difficult decisions.
The challenges faced by the children and families we care for are great. And the challenges we face in caring for them are no less daunting.
In the recent WCAAP member survey, you identified mental health and economic hardship as the most pressing issues affecting your patients. After the events of the past weeks, these economic barriers have grown steeper. And with them, so too have the stress, anxiety, and uncertainty families experience each day.
At WCAAP, we hear you—and we hear the needs of our patients loud and clear. We are committed to prioritizing these challenges in the year ahead. Maintaining and strengthening healthcare coverage for low-income families through Medicaid has long been a cornerstone of our work. Now, with hundreds of thousands of children at risk of losing that coverage, the urgency of this mission has only deepened as the emotional and financial burden on families has grown exponentially.
In moments like these, it can feel like our ability to help is limited. But we still hold something incredibly powerful: our presence.
I encourage each of you to be a calm, non-anxious presence in the face of uncertainty. No matter how harried your day, before you step into the next exam room—or your teenager’s bedroom, or your next faculty meeting—pause. Try the practice of “two feet and a breath.” Feel your feet where they connect with the ground. Take a breath. Center yourself and remember: for this family, this child, this moment matters. While you may have 20 appointments today, they have one. You may not be able to solve every problem—but you can show up, fully present, and walk beside them on their journey.
Likewise, at WCAAP, we are committed to walking this difficult road with you. As you care for children and families in exam rooms, clinics, hospitals, and communities, we will continue our work in the halls of government, in coalitions, and in the public sphere to defend what matters most: children’s health, dignity, and futures.
You are not alone in this work. WCAAP is beside you. We draw our direction from you. Because of your insights, your advocacy, and your steadfast care, we can push forward with clarity and purpose.
Together, we will meet these challenges—not because they are easy, but because our patients and their families deserve nothing less. Thank you for standing with us, for speaking up, and for showing up—day after day, one breath and one child at a time.