In the news this week:
North Carolina’s legislature is advancing a bill that would require the State to create a children and families specialty medical plan for children in foster care, either through a Medicaid waiver. The State would issue an RFP for a statewide plan covering the foster care population and providing services including “intensive in-home services; multi-systemic therapy; residential treatment; and services in private residential treatment facilities.” This is the sort of innovative thinking that can help address care for children with complex needs, especially given the fact that these children in state custody are sleeping in offices and hospital emergency rooms.
California is looking at extending foster care to age 26!
Read about Mississippi’s only child abuse pediatrician.
Arkansas foster providers and partners are launching a “single source” website to recruit foster parents. The move is part of Governor Sanders’ efforts to improve the state’s foster care process.
Lots of bills in Texas Legislature this year seeking to address child welfare issues amid the ongoing federal oversight of the state’s system. The Texas Tribune has details.
Here’s an interesting story about public reaction to a family who refused to take in a relative child instead of having the child placed in foster care.
For those of you interested in the debate over the ethical treatment of children with gender dysphoria, I recommend this short article from the Hastings Center, a leading bioethics think tank.
Here’s another take on the Justice Department’s investigation of whether child welfare systems’ predictive analytics algorithms discriminate against disabled parents in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The federal HHS Office of Investigator General has issued a report stemming from its extensive review of state compliance with requirements for reporting and seeking children missing from foster care.