How to Choose a Pediatrician Who Is Right for Your Child

Finding the right pediatrician can feel daunting. You’re looking for someone who gets you, supports your parenting style, and—most importantly—takes amazing care of your child.

Whether you’re expecting your first baby (congrats!), fostering a child, relocating to a new city, or simply realizing your current pediatrician isn’t the right fit anymore, the decision feels important. Because it is.

But you’re stuck. Scrolling through endless provider directories, texting friends for recommendations, and wondering what questions to ask during those awkward “meet-and-greet” appointments. The struggle is real, though finding the right pediatrician is worth it.

We’re here to make it easier for you. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to find a pediatrician who not only has the medical expertise to keep your child healthy but also aligns with your family values and communication style.

Read on for:

• How to find a pediatrician
• How to choose a pediatrician by spotting green flags of a good fit
• Questions to ask during your meet-and-greet appointment

Ready to find your match? Let’s dive in.

How to find a pediatrician

Make things easier on yourself. Start by narrowing down your options based on clear-cut criteria. Dr. Scott Moore, a pediatrician, offers the same recommendations he’d give to his own family.

Seek reviews and recommendations

You’ve likely already been scanning online reviews. But here’s a detail worth noting: “Don’t just look at if the reviews are good, but at how many people write them,” suggests Dr. Moore. If a pediatrician inspires many people to share a positive review, it speaks volumes.

And as you tap into friends and family members for recommendations, consider expanding your circle. This is especially helpful when you’re moving to a new city, where you might not have close ties. Talk to neighbors and parents at school. What names keep popping up? Start your list of potential pediatricians here.

Location, hours and availability

Once you have a list of possible pediatricians, you can compare the convenience of care at each of their practices. Consider how close they are to your home, work, school, or daycare. Do their hours work with your schedule? Is it easy to get ahold of the clinic without waiting through long phone trees?

Availability is about more than just clinic hours. Dr. Moore suggests asking questions like:

• How do you handle issues that come up after hours?
• Do you have a nurse triage line to direct us if something comes up after hours?
• If my child goes to urgent care or the emergency room, can someone from the practice access my child’s chart at any time?
• Do you have same-day scheduling availability for sudden issues?

Insurance and hospital affiliations

Most insurance providers will have a tool that allows you to search for pediatricians in your network. You can also check if they have privileges at your local children’s hospital or preferred hospital location.

Telemedicine and technology

When your child is sick, taking them in to see their clinician can feel like an uphill climb. That’s where telemedicine and electronic health records can help. Some common check-ups can be done virtually, and quick digital messages help you decide when it’s time to come in. Ask potential pediatricians how they use telemedicine and technology to make care easier and more convenient.

How to choose a pediatrician based on green flags

Even if everything looks good on paper, a good relationship with your pediatrician is more than the sum of its parts. Look for the wave of these green flags.

You feel comfortable with the pediatrician and care team

While it may seem like a “nice to have,” your comfort level can actually lead to better care for your child. When you’re comfortable, you’re more likely to ask questions and seek clarification. You’re not worried about asking a dumb question or repeating a question—because let’s be honest, it’s easy to forget one answer amid everything else you’re juggling that day.

“It takes time to build a relationship where you feel very comfortable with a clinician and office,” acknowledges Dr. Moore. “But you should feel an initial comfort and confidence with the whole team.”

They invite you to question decisions

Asking questions and even questioning care decisions is a form of collaboration. After all, nobody knows your child as well as you do. And a clinician that invites your questions has a team mentality.

“Healthcare works better when its two or more people thinking through the problem instead of a clinician saying, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’” says Dr. Moore. “You are part of the treatment team, too.”

There’s low friction in non-care experiences

Some of your healthcare experience happens outside the office visit. From insurance to billing to medical records, how smooth is the whole process? Has the practice taken time to make things efficient for you? That’s a definite green flag.   

Questions to ask a pediatrician during a meet-and-greet

Many pediatric clinics offer a meet-and-greet style visit between a parent or guardian and the clinician. This is a great time to assess you and your child’s comfort with the pediatrician and ask questions.

Questions about board certification or vaccines may not be as helpful as you think. Dr. Moore points out that most pediatricians are now board certified, and most will recommend the CDC vaccination schedule.

Dr. Moore suggests asking these questions to get a feel for if a pediatrician is a good fit for your family:

• Why did you become a pediatrician? This gives you more information on who they are as a person and how that led to their profession.
• Do you specialize in any specific conditions? This can be especially helpful if your child has a chronic condition like diabetes.
• How do you communicate with families? Learn how you can expect to receive updates and contact the practice, whether that includes phone, text, email or a digital portal.
• How do you handle team coverage when a clinician isn’t available? You’ll learn about their team model and coverage plans.
• What is your availability like for same-day appointments? The unexpected tends to happen, well, unexpectedly. You’ll want to know if you can see the care team if your child is suddenly sick.
• How do you handle after-hours issues? Health issues don’t follow our calendars. Do they offer nurse triage to help you decide what to do or recommend a nearby urgent care?
• What is your approach for…? Bring up specific scenarios you anticipate. For example, if your child is on the autism spectrum, you could ask how they engage with autistic children to make them feel more comfortable during check-ups.

Each relationship between a family and their pediatrician is unique—and that’s the heart of what you’re looking for: a relationship.

By asking the right questions and looking for green flags, you can find the right pediatrician. Someone who encourages you to ask questions, involves you in the care plan, has a plan for the unexpected, and generally makes your life easier.