Foster Care

Foster care is a temporary living arrangement for children who are unable to remain safely with their primary caregivers due to concerns such as abuse, neglect, or other family-related challenges. In foster care, children are placed with trained and licensed caregivers, known as foster parents, who provide a safe and nurturing environment while child welfare professionals work toward a permanent solution, such as reunification with family, adoption, or guardianship. The primary goal of foster care is to ensure each child’s safety, well-being, and stability during a time of transition.

Most children entering foster care have significant untreated medical conditions or lack proper preventive health care. Up to half the foster care population experience developmental delays and school failure. Virtually all school-aged children have at least one mental health issue, such as anxiety or depression, and up to half require professional intervention. (Hussey DL. An in-depth analysis of domestically adopted children with special needs and their biological mothers. Journal of Social Work. 2011; 12 (5). (DOI) ; Kerker BD and Dore MM. Mental health needs and treatment of foster youth: Barriers and opportunities. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2006; 76 (1) : 138-47. (DOI) ). To successfully care for these vulnerable children, medical and mental health professionals must understand their health risks and how to navigate the social services, legal, and healthcare systems. As with all children, physicians and other health care professionals need to be advocates for their patients. In the case of a foster child, health care professionals must also work with the county workers, the biological and foster parents, and the attorney for the child.