Over the last decade, California leaders have made tremendous progress on supporting kids in some crucial areas. They have vastly increased the percentage of children enrolled in health insurance and made paid family leave available for most workers. They have also invested in free school meals, committed to universal transitional kindergarten,…

The Illinois Child Welfare Department implemented a statewide health care system to ensure that children in foster care obtain quality health care by providing each child with a medical home. This study demonstrates that the Medical Home model works for children in foster care providing better health outcomes in higher immunization rates. These…

California has long been on the cutting edge of social and political change. This trendsetting continues today on issues from addressing climate change to supporting immigrant communities to ensuring equal rights for all. But, when reviewing the grades of this year's California Children's Report Card, it is difficult not to ask the question: why…

Like all states, Nebraska faces distinct challenges in how it allocates resources to meet the most immediate needs of its citizens while investing responsibly in long-term social and economic growth. This report presents selected indicators that describe the status of infants and toddlers in Nebraska; Often comparable data for the U.S. as a whole…

The passage of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (P.L. 110-351) represents the most significant federal child welfare reform in more than a decade. While the scope and nature of the federal reforms are far reaching, the actual impact of the legislation on children will depend largely upon how it is implemented.…

The "Colorado Children's Budget" presents and analyzes investments and spending trends during the past five state fiscal years on services that benefit children. The "Children's Budget" focuses mainly on state investment and spending, with some analysis of federal investments and spending to provide broader context of state…

Children in foster care have lower health status than do their peers and limited access to health care. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services developed HealthWorks, a separate primary care preferred provider system for children in foster care. This study compared claims data for children in HealthWorks with children not enrolled…

In order to address problems related to the health care of children in foster care, policymakers need detailed information about health status, health care utilization, and Medicaid expenditures. This policy brief summarizes a study examining health care utilization and expenditures paid by Medicaid for children in foster care in California,…

Describes the essential features of a health care system that can meet the special needs of children in out-of-home care. Discusses some of the major recent changes brought about by welfare and health care reform. Notes that it remains to be seen whether the quality of services will improve as a result of these reforms. (Author)

Examined health care policies and services for children under 46 state welfare agencies. Found that most states had written policies regarding health care for foster children, but half had no management system to record health care data. Most states did not meet standards set by the Child Welfare League of America for health care of these…

Reviews the unique health care needs of children in the out-of-home care system and the standards developed over the past decade to deliver comprehensive health care services to this population. Raises key policy and practice questions for each standard to facilitate effective implementation of recommendations makes suggestions for future research…

This report examines the use of health care services by children enrolled in Medi-Cal, California's counterpart to Medicaid, and the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) program. Expenditures related to these services are also examined. Data for the report were derived from utilization and expenditure data from Medi-Cal and CHDP. Analysis…

Outlines access to health care for children in out-of-home care under current law, reviews how health care access for these children would be affected by President Clinton's health care reform initiative, and proposes additional measures that could be considered to improve access and service coordination for children in the child welfare system.…

Recommendations concerning California's efforts to provide for the health needs of its children were developed at the California Conference on Health Care for Children in Foster Care. The conference was organized to discuss California's implementation of the Child Welfare League of America's Standards for Health Care Services for Children in…

The impact of family situations on the health of children is examined along the dimensions of (1) the growing povertization of parents who are of color; (2) health risks for children in poverty; and (3) consequences of placement in the foster care system. (SLD)