ACF Banner
[NCCIC header image][NCCIC Header Image]

NCCIC Library

Special Health Care Needs Among Children in the Child Welfare System (PDF)
By Cecilia Casanueva, Theodore Cross, Heather Ringeisen, Mathew Urato
Pediatrics , 122, 1; July 2008, p.e232-e241

Summary: This study assessed levels of special health care need among 5,496 children (aged 0–15 years) in the child welfare system and how these needs may affect children’s functioning. Data were from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being, a national probability study of children investigated for child maltreatment. At any point in the study period, approximately one third of the children were identified as having special health care needs. Overall, across three years of follow-up data, 50.3 percent of the children were identified as having special health care needs. Adopted and foster children were significantly more likely to have had special health care needs than children never placed out of the home. The most commonly reported type of chronic health condition was asthma. The most commonly reported type of special need was a learning disability. Findings show that special health care needs are prevalent among children in the child welfare system. Many children with special health care needs have cognitive, language, adaptive, social, or behavioral functional impairments. It is important to ensure that this population has access to and receives coordinated health and related social services. Contains 45 references.

Index Terms: Child Welfare, Children With Special Needs, Community Needs Assessment, Health Care, Studies, Research Reports

Publisher: American Academy of Pediatrics

Publication Type: Journal Articles

Pages: 12 pages
Language: English
URL: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/122/1/e232.pdf

 
PDF Icon Need Adobe Reader?