Home Health Care Services for Children and Youth in Foster Care
Organization: Johns Hopkins University
Primary Contact: Rebecca Seltzer
Grant Amount: $49,981 for 18 months
Date Awarded:
Purpose
Nearly half a million children and youth are currently in foster care in the United States. It’s estimated that 1 in 17 (6%) of all U.S. children will have foster care experience before age 18, and these rates are higher for children from marginalized communities.
Half of children in foster care have chronic medical conditions, and 10% have complex medical needs. These children also are hospitalized more often and longer than children with similar health conditions who are not in foster care.
Home health care, which has been shown in general to reduce the number of child hospital admissions, shorten hospital stays, and cost less than in-hospital care, may benefit children in foster care with significant medical needs. Through an analysis of Medicaid data, the project funded through this grant will examine if and how children in foster care are accessing home health care services.