Pediatric preventive care plays a key role in ensuring that children grow into healthy, thriving adults. However, developing effective pediatric health policies requires ongoing reassessment to keep pace with medical advances. Such work also demands a strong evidence base—especially long-term data on the benefits and risks of interventions—which can be difficult and costly to generate in pediatric research.

An Overview of Pediatric Preventive Health Care in the United States, SPARC explores how philanthropic funders can help accelerate progress in pediatric preventive care across all conditions. Rather than focusing on a specific disease, the report offers a framework to support robust science and policy development across the prevention landscape. It identifies four areas in which philanthropic investment can have meaningful impact:

• long-term research funding
• cost-benefit analyses support
• the strengthening of voluntary health organizations
• patient advocacy group empowerment

With strategic investment in these areas, philanthropy can significantly shape evidence-based policies and improve access to preventive care for children, leading to better health outcomes and long-term societal benefit.