Planners face a series of dilemmas and choices involving the centralisation of widespread distribution of services, the balance of specialist and generalist, the training needs of professionals and the welfare of families. These papers were given at the first NAWCH conference on planning children's services and hope to provide a contribution to debate. Speakers covered regional and district planning of all services for children, as well as two particular aspects of common concern. These were accident and emergency services and the pressure to increase the throughput which can result in more day care in hospital without any increase in community support for families.