Health care needs of children in the foster care system. Pediatrics 2000 Oct;106(4 Suppl):909-18
Date
10/24/2000Pubmed ID
11044143Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0033781189 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 246 CitationsAbstract
Nearly 750 000 children are currently in foster care in the United States. Recent trends in foster care include reliance on extended family members to care for children in kinship care placements, increased efforts to reduce the length of placement, acceleration of termination of parental rights proceedings, and emphasis on adoption. It is not clear what impact welfare reform may have on the number of children who may require foster care placement. Although most children enter foster care with medical, mental health, or developmental problems, many do not receive adequate or appropriate care while in placement. Psychological and emotional problems, in particular, may worsen rather than improve. Multiple barriers to adequate health care for this population exist. Health care practitioners can help to improve the health and well-being of children in foster care by performing timely and thorough admission evaluations, providing continuity of care, and playing an active advocacy role. Potential areas for health services research include study of the impact of different models of health care delivery, the role of a medical home in providing continuity of care, the perception of the foster care experience by the child, children's adjustment to foster care, and foster parent education on health outcomes.
Author List
Simms MD, Dubowitz H, Szilagyi MAAuthor
Mark D. Simms MD Emeritus Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentChild
Family Relations
Foster Home Care
Health Care Reform
Health Services
Health Status
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
Humans
Mental Health Services
Social Welfare
United States
