Abstract
Objective: to analyze the care provided by the family to the child with special health needs. Method: A qualitative study was carried out with 16 relatives of children from a Neonatal Unit of a municipality in the south of Brazil. Data were collected in 2016 by semi-structured interviews and submitted to thematic analysis. Results: the results showed that the main family caregiver was the mother. They reported having learned to care in the Neonatal Unit; mobilized for the treatment of the child with specialists and examinations; constructed the normality possible; they transformed the home into the main context of care, restructured daily life and a social support network, abandoned their work, sought financial assistance and resources for care, places in day care centers and schools and learned to deal with the technologies needed for care. Conclusions: it is necessary to invest in the educational process of the family to make it autonomous to confront the process of dependence on technology by children.