Foster children with special needs: The Children's Aid Society experience

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Social Work

Background:

• Children in foster care exhibit significant and complex health needs.
• The foster care system often struggles with inadequate information exchange regarding children's health.
• Vulnerable populations, including medically fragile and emotionally disturbed children, require specialized care within foster systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the Children's Aid Society (CAS) of New York City's model for addressing the health needs of children in foster care.
• To highlight the development and scope of the Medical Foster Care (MFC) and Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) programs.
• To advocate for improvements in health information systems and healthcare provider engagement for foster children.

Main Methods:

• Description of the CAS's integrated foster care model, including specialized MFC and TFC programs.
• Analysis of the patient populations served by MFC (medically fragile) and TFC (emotional/behavioral issues).
• Identification of systemic challenges in health information maintenance and exchange within foster care.

Main Results:

• The MFC program serves 145 medically fragile children with conditions like heart disease, renal agenesis, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, and mental retardation.
• The TFC program serves 50 children experiencing severe emotional and behavioral problems.
• Significant deficiencies exist in agencies' ability to conduct background checks and reveal health needs, leading to inadequate care.

Conclusions:

• Children in foster care require specialized medical and mental health treatments.
• Enhancing health information systems and ensuring adequate background checks are essential for proper care.
• Increased awareness and advocacy from healthcare providers are critical to ensure foster children's extensive needs are met by governmental and medical services.