Foster Care Committee

Co-Chairs:  https://txpeds.org/committees/chairs

Mission:

The TPS Foster Care Committee works to improve the health of children in foster and kinship care and advocate for those children, their caregivers and their providers through collaboration with state agencies and payers.

Get Involved!

Members of Foster Care Committee have varied backgrounds and interests, including: primary care, foster care specialty clinics, child abuse pediatricians and sub-specialists. We welcome your perspective!
To become a member of this committee, please visit: http://txpeds.org/committee-form

Support Materials

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission Course on Texas Health Steps Services for Children in Foster Care gives an overview of required exams and follow-up care.

Additionally, Superior HealthPlan created the following educational materials to support pediatricians in providing health care for children entering Texas foster care.

  • Initial 3 Day Medical Exam Guidelines: with the passage of SB 11 in the 85th Legislative Session, children must have an initial medical exam within 3 days of entering foster care.
  • 3 in 30 Infographic: 3 in 30 is a collaborative effort between DFPS, HHSC, and Superior HealthPlan to ensure children entering DFPS conservatorship recieve an Initial Medical Exam within 3 days, a Child and Adolescent Strengths and Needs (CANS) assessment within 30 days, and a Texas Health Steps medical check-up within 30 days.
  • 3 in 30 Billing Guidelines: guidance and important notes for billing regarding the Initial 3 Day Medical Exam, the CANS, and the THSteps well child check up (3 in 30).
  • Initial 3 day Exam Rollout Map and Schedule: The regional rollout for the Initial 3 Day Medical Exam will beginning April 1, 2018 in DFPS regions 1,7,9, and 10. This map and schedule lists the regional rollout by DFPS region and displays the counties represented in each region.

Superior HealthPlan is also hosting webinar trainings related to the Intial Medical Exam and 3 in 30 initiative. For a calendar of the trainings, please visit: https://www.superiorhealthplan.com/providers/training-manuals/provider-training-calendar.html

Childcare Resources

Publications

 

As Texas re-opens amid rising hospitalization rates and ongoing concerns related to COVID-19, much about the future remains uncertain. Preventive measures, such as physical distancing and limiting large gatherings, are effective ways to limit the spread of coronavirus, and this new reality requires that our systems and institutions are prepared to operate within these circumstances. Included among these systems and institutions are those serving children in the child welfare system. Although it appears thus far that children are much less likely than adults to be physically harmed by COVID-19, the virus has threatened the safety and wellbeing of children in numerous ways.

 
 

Born out of a needs assessment of the Texas foster care system completed by the TPS Foster Care Committee, this white paper outlines the necessity of children receiving an initial health exam within 72 hours of entering the foster care system. TPS and other stakeholders were successful in the passage of legislation during the 85th Texas Legislative Session to ensure children recieve an initial health exam within three business days of entering foster care.

TPS Staff Contact

Jevone' Mayes, MPH; Jevone.Mayes@txpeds.org; 512-370-1503