Foster Children & Youth

The Facts
National Conference of State Legislatures

• Up to 80 percent of children in foster care have significant mental health issues, compared to approximately 18-22 percent of the general population.
• As a result of these increased mental health issues, foster youth are prescribed psychotropic medications at a much higher rate than non-foster youth, costing the state, through fee-for-service programs such as Medicaid, millions of dollars a year.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics, Healthy Foster Care American Initiative, identifies mental and behavioral health as the “greatest unmet heath need for children and teens in foster care.”
• Factors contributing to the mental and behavioral health of children and youth in foster care includes the history of complex trauma, frequently changing situations and transitions, broken family relationships, inconsistent and inadequate access to mental health services and the over-prescription of psychotropic medications.

Articles/Briefs

Continuum of Care Reform, CA Department of Social Services

Keeping Youth Close to Home: Building a Comprehensive Continuum of Care for California’s Youth, CA Alliance of Child & Family Services Report, 10/2021

Supports and Resources for Youth Transitioning From Foster Care
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2020)

Integration & Collaboration to meet the needs of children, youth and families, re: Katie A v. Bonta & CA AB403., Ca HHSA, 1-12-16

Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) Toolkit - CCR is an initiative to drastically change policy and practice in California's foster care system.  (formerly "Katie A")

​Programs Servicing Children & Youth Displaying Emotional Disturbance as a result of Trauma, MHSOAC/UCLA (2014)

Making Healthy Choices: A Guide on Psychotropic Medications for Youth in Foster Care U.S. Children's Bureau (2012)​

Programs

Health Care for Former Foster Youth FosterClub (2020)

Families Urgent Response System (FURS) - CA

1. Provides current and former foster youth and their caregivers with immediate, trauma-informed support when they need it.
2. Prevents placement moves.
3. Preserves the relationship between the child or youth and their caregiver.
4. Provides a trauma-informed alternative for families who previously resorted to calling 911 or law enforcement.
5. Reduces hospitalizations, law enforcement contacts, and placement in out-of-home facilities.
6. Promotes healing as a family.
7. Improves retention of current foster caregivers.
8. Promotes stability for youth in foster care, including youth in extended foster care.

FURS Services Include:

• A toll-free hotline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week staffed with caring counselors trained in conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques for children and youth impacted by trauma.
• County Mobile Response System and Stabilization Teams also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• In-home de-escalation, stabilization, conflict resolution, and support services and resources.
• Ongoing support services beyond the initial mobile response.
• Hotline and mobile response staff trained in working with children and families who have experienced trauma.