Adding Life to Their Years: Pediatrics, Palliative Care and Ethics

Join us for the 21st annual Seattle Children’s Pediatric Bioethics Conference, Adding Life to Their Years: Pediatrics, Palliative Care and Ethics, from July 17–18, 2026, at Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle.

This year’s conference will focus on issues at the heart of pediatrics: the relief of suffering, maintenance of hope and promotion of flourishing of children and their families. Bioethics and palliative care share these commitments, yet they sometimes bring different perspectives on how best to achieve them.

We will explore questions that arise at the intersection of pediatrics bioethics and palliative care, identifying areas of controversy and of synergy. In an era of rapid technological, financial and social change, this conference will provide space for thoughtful dialogue about the ethical challenges and opportunities shaping the future of pediatric care.

Join us as we explore the ethical questions that shape how we care, communicate and find meaning in the lives of children and families facing serious illness.

• What ethical challenges emerge when hospitalization stretches from weeks to years?
• How should clinicians and families navigate disagreements about goals of care?
• What is the relationship between bioethics and palliative care?
• Can parents refuse to share diagnoses or prognoses with their children?
• How can communication strategies promote trust and combat misinformation?
• How can we best support the flourishing of children and families facing serious illness?
• What are the ethical limits of parental decision-making near the end of life?
• How should we respond to concerns about suffering?