The Health Care Program for Children in Foster Care utilizes a public health nursing transition-focused care management model. Foster Care Public Health Nurses coordinate comprehensive shared health care planning to meet the unique health needs of this population.

The program’s public health nurses navigate the health care system to facilitate appropriate referrals and continuity of care for children and youth in out-of-home placement and create and update a child welfare-centralized comprehensive shared care plan (The California Child Welfare Database Health and Education Passport) comprised of the child’s health history and all health care services. This care plan and record serves the child or youth, the child’s social worker, and all members of multidisciplinary care team.

Program Details

This Public Health program is co-located in Social Services’ Department of Children and Family and the Probation Department to provide nursing expertise in meeting the medical, dental, and developmental needs of children and youth in foster care. HCPCFC public health nurse care management and coordination services are uninterrupted for the duration of a youth’s legal foster care status up to the age of 21, regardless of the youth’s location in the state or in the country.

HCPCFC does the following

• Collects relevant health data on each child in foster care.
• Consults with child welfare workers and probation officers on the health plan for each foster child.
• Educates foster parents, group home providers, welfare, and probation workers on the health needs of the child.
• Serves as a resource to foster parents, foster children, group home providers, child welfare workers, and probation officers.

Please contact HCPCFC for the following

• Health and Education Passport Template
• Foster Care Nurse pamphlet

Please review the Alameda County Foster Care Health Contact Form to track health services for children in foster care.