Exploratory and descriptive study, of qualitative nature, developed with the purpose of knowing the route of the child's family admitted to the hospital. The data were collected at the pediatric unit of the Regional University Hospital of Maringá (HUM), through semi-structured interviews with the accompanying family members. After analysis of content, two categories emerged: the role of the family in the identification of deviations in the child's health, and the (un)readiness of the health services: impacts on the child health attendance. The study evidenced an expectation of the family in face of the child's illness, searching for alternative strategies and late seeking for health services. These, in turn, show gaps along the attendance process, from diagnosis to treatment, thus raising familiar stress and increasing the possibilities of aggravation of the clinical condition of the child.
Child; Family; Illness; Attendance; Early Diagnosis