The shadow cast by HIV reaches beyond individuals diagnosed with the condition. It touches the lives of family members, friends, coworkers, and many others. One group in particular that feels these effects keenly is the children of HIV-positive parents. With improved treatments that have extended the life expectancies of HIV-infected people and prevented transmission during pregnancy, the number of children with an HIV-infected parent is expected to grow. An emerging body of research conducted by RAND and several collaborating institutions has shed light on the problems confronting this population and has provided a policy perspective for addressing them. Key findings of these research studies include: (1) One-quarter of HIV-infected parents avoided common physical interactions with their children "a lot" due to misconceived fears of transmitting HIV. Some children expressed legitimate fears about transmission through blood, but also misconceived fears about transmission through generally harmless activities such as sharing food and kissing or hugging; (2) Just over half of parents were reluctant to disclose their HIV, fearing their children would tell others and experience discrimination; such fears limited opportunities for social support; and (3) Many children did not remain in their parents' custody, and few unmarried parents had prepared legal guardianship plans. This report presents a number of interventions recommended by the study authors in assisting HIV-infected parents and their children to better cope with the illness. (Contains 3 tables, 2 figures and 1 footnote.) [This report summarizes RAND Health research reported in the following publication: (1) Bogart LM, Cowgill BO, Kennedy D, Ryan G, Murphy DA, Elijah J, Schuster MA, "HIV-Related Stigma Among People with HIV and Their Families: A Qualitative Analysis," "AIDS and Behavior," Vol. 12, 2008, pp. 244-254; (2) Corona R, Beckett MK, Cowgill BO, Elliott MN, Murphy DA, Zhou AJ, Schuster MA, "Do Children Know Their Parent's HIV Status? Parental Reports of Child Awareness in a Nationally Representative Sample," "Ambulatory Pediatrics," Vol. 6, No. 3, May-June 2006, pp. 138-144; (3) Corona R, Cowgill BO, Bogart LM, Parra MT, Ryan G, Elliott MN, Park SK, Patch J, Schuster MA, "Brief Report: A Qualitative Analysis of Discussions about HIV in Families of Parents with HIV," "Journal of Pediatric Psychology," Vol. 34, No. 6, July 2009, pp. 677-680; (4) Cowgill BO, Beckett MK, Corona R, Elliott MN, Zhou AJ, Schuster MA, "Children of HIV-Infected Parents: Custody Status in a Nationally Representative Sample," Pediatrics, Vol. 120, No. 3, September 2007, pp. e494-e503; (5) Cowgill BO, Beckett MK, Corona R, Elliott MN, Parra MT, Zhou AJ, Schuster MA, "Guardianship Planning Among HIV-Infected Parents in the US: Results from a Nationally Representative Sample," Pediatrics, Vol. 119, No. 2, February 2007, pp. e391-e398; (6) Cowgill BO, Bogart LM, Corona R, Ryan G, Schuster MA, "Fears About HIV Transmission in Families with an HIV-Infected Parent: A Qualitative Analysis," Pediatrics, Vol. 122, No. 5, November 2008, pp. e950-e958; (7) Schuster MA, Beckett MK, Corona R, Zhou AJ, "Hugs and Kisses: HIV-Infected Parents' Fears About Contagion and the Effects on Parent-Child Interaction in a Nationally Representative Sample," Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 159, No. 2, February 2005, pp. 173-179; and (8) Schuster MA, Kanouse DE, Morton SC, Bozzette SA, Miu A, Scott GB, Shapiro MF, "HIV-Infected Parents and Their Children in the United States," "American Journal of Public Health," Vol. 90, No. 7, July 2000, pp. 1074-1081.]