PURPOSE: To determine a relevant set of concerns that parents express as expectations regarding their children's eye care. DESIGN: Qualitative, cross-sectional, pilot study. METHODS: A total of 48 interviews were conducted with parents of pediatric ophthalmology patients at Duke University Eye Center and the McGovern Davidson Children's Health Center at Duke University to elicit parents' expectations regarding their children's eye care. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded for parent expectations. RESULTS: Content analysis of transcripts from the 48 interviews yielded 35 different expectation areas for eye care, which were further classified into six groups: (1) Communication, (2) Interpersonal Manner, (3) Doctor's Skill, (4) Examination and Testing, (5) Logistics, and (6) Other. The six expectation areas most frequently identified by parents as the single "most important" expectation were the following: (1) Clinical Competence, (2) Interaction with Child, (3) Education/Training, (4) Explanation in Clear Language, (5) Information about Diagnosis, and (6) Personal Connection. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of pediatric ophthalmology patients expressed expectation areas in the Communication group more frequently than any other group. However, when asked to identify their single most important expectation area, more than half of parents identified Clinical Competence.