Pediatrics Commons^™

Working With Foster Families: What Providers Should Know, The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence

White Papers and Policy Briefs

Foster parents play a vital, yet often challenging role in the lives of children who have experienced trauma and instability. Navigating the healthcare system for children in foster care can be particularly complex and overwhelming, requiring understanding, collaboration, and a unique approach from healthcare professionals. This page offers insights and practical ideas for healthcare professionals to effectively support foster parents, ultimately contributing to the well-being of the children in their care.

For questions about this publication or others, please email [email protected]

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Ensuring The Health And Well-Being Of Children After Adoption, The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence

White Papers and Policy Briefs

Children in foster care have higher rates of health concerns and healthcare utilization than their peers who have not experienced foster care. For example, one study found that children in foster care had 2.5- and 2.3-times higher odds of having a mental health diagnosis and developmental disability diagnosis, respectively. Data on our patient population supports these findings, revealing that 70.4% of our patients had chronic or complex chronic health conditions.

For questions about this publication or others, please email [email protected]

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Can Fat Absorption Be Enhanced With A Novel Medical Food?, Cassie Brown

2025

No abstract provided.

Implementing A Remote Patient Monitoring Program To Improve Nutrition Status In Infant With Cystic Fibrosis, Jessica Jones, Stacie Hunter, Kelli Williams, Petrissa Ncomo, Rapheal Peeples, Alex Pottorff, Lauren Lazar, Meghana Sathe

2025

No abstract provided.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum Leading To Thiamine Deficiency And Infantile Hypotonia, Christina Sanchez, Lauren Lazar, Michele Alkalay, Kelsie Matthews

2024

No abstract provided.

Child Maltreatment And Behavioral Health Outcomes In Child Welfare: Exploring The Roles Of Severity And Polyvictimization, Lauren Malthaner, Jill Mcleigh, Gregory Knell, Katelyn Jetelina, Folefac Atem, Sarah Messiah

Behavioral Health/Developmental Delay

Child maltreatment and polyvictimization are known risk factors for long-term detrimental health and development outcomes, including behavioral health challenges. However, effects from specific types and combinations of maltreatments are unclear. This study examined the association between maltreatment or polyvictimization and behavioral health in a child welfare sample.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

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Beat The Boredom With Books! (Spanish), Mattie Lastovica, Lorraine Sheldon

Bibliotherapy

Beat the Boredom with Books was part of a resident research project. The research questions was "does intentional promotion of the Krissi Holman Family Library and the benefits of reading/screen time limitations during the hospital admission process increase use of and access to books from the in-hospital library in children ages O to 5 years?" The document includes facts about screentime use in pediatrics and information about the library.

Beat The Boredom With Books! (English), Mattie Lastovica, Lorraine Sheldon

Bibliotherapy

Beat the Boredom with Books was part of a resident research project. The research questions was "does intentional promotion of the Krissi Holman Family Library and the benefits of reading/screen time limitations during the hospital admission process increase use of and access to books from the in-hospital library in children ages O to 5 years?" The document includes facts about screen time use in pediatrics and information about the library.

The Impact Of Health Status On Health Care Utilization Of Children In Foster Care, Jill Mcleigh, Gunjan Singh, Rong Huang

Health Status, Outcomes, and Literacy and Healthcare Utilization

This study sought to understand the health status of children in foster care; the relationship between their health status and health care utilization; and demographic and placement factors associated with health care utilization.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

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Navigating Nutrition Challenges In The Cicu: Ecmo, Vad & Malnutrition For Complex Infant & Pediatric Patients, Mona Kasik

2024

No abstract provided.

Discharge Planning & Nutrition Monitoring For Single-Ventricle Patients During The Interstage Period, Sarah Dundas, Brooke Kealey

2024

No abstract provided.

Barriers And Facilitators To Kinship Care In Texas: A Multi-Stakeholder, Mixed Methods Perspective, Lauren Malthaner, Jill Mcleigh, Hilda Loria, Erinne Conner, Mike Henson-Garcia

Caregiver Needs and Supports

Kinship caregivers face numerous barriers to providing care for children placed with them and limited facilitators to help ensure successful placements. Although the needs of kinship caregivers are being examined and prioritized in the legislature, operational and policy-level interventions are needed. Results from this study allow for interventions tailored to the needs of kinship caregivers in the State of Texas as identified by a multitude of stakeholder groups.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

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Caregivers Of Youth In Foster Care In Texas And Their Role In Contraception Decision-Making For Adolescents In Care, Shelby Edmondson, Ana Belen Conrado, Hilda Loria, Jill Mcleigh, Jasmin Tiro, Simon Lee, Jenny Francis

Caregiver Needs and Supports

Few studies address the experiences of caregivers of adolescents in foster care. This study highlights a range of caregiver attitudes about contraception for adolescents in care. Provider training regarding contraception should include strategies to manage caregiver beliefs and extreme reactions to contraception use among youth in care.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

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Mental Health Disorders And Psychotropic Medication: Prevalence And Related Characteristics Among Individuals In Foster Care, Jill Mcleigh, Lauren Malthaner, Madeline Tovar, Mohsin Khan

Behavioral Health/Developmental Delay

This study sought to provide prevalence data for mental health (MH) diagnoses and psychotropic medication prescriptions among individuals in foster care and to examine their relationships with physical health status, maltreatment type, placement type, and demographic variables.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

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Examining The Feasibility Of Telehealth Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Tf-Cbt) With Young People In Foster Care, Jill Mcleigh, Adrianna Martin, Laura Lamminen

Behavioral Health/Developmental Delay

Despite the high rate of trauma exposure among young people with child welfare involvement, various systematic and patient barriers exist that inhibit utilization of evidence-based trauma treatments. One strategy for alleviating barriers to such treatments is using telehealth. A few studies have found that the clinical outcomes of telehealth TF-CBT are comparable to those found from clinic-based, in-person treatment administration. Studies have yet to examine the feasibility of telehealth TF-CBT with young people in care. The current study sought to address this gap by examining outcomes for patients who received telehealth TF-CBT, along with factors that may have impacted successful …

Empowering Kinship Caregivers In Texas: A Call To Action For Policy Change, The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence

White Papers and Policy Briefs

Kinship care refers to the care of children and adolescents by relatives or close family friends, who are referred to as fictive kin. These relationships can be formal, meaning the child has been removed from a parent and placed by Child Protective Services (CPS) into the care of a relative or family friend, or informal, meaning the relationship occurs without any involvement from CPS. This brief focuses on the former and uses the term kinship care to refer to formal kinship caregiving.

For questions about this publication or others, please email [email protected]

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Description Of Audiologic, Developmental, Ophthalmologic, And Neurologic Diagnoses At A Primary Care Clinic For Children In Foster Care, Jill Mcleigh, Lauren Malthaner, Melissa Reynoso, Kimberly Stone

Health Status, Outcomes, and Literacy and Healthcare Utilization

This study aimed to describe the prevalence of medically diagnosed audiologic, developmental, ophthalmologic, and neurologic conditions in a foster care primary care clinic and to identify any associations among these diagnoses and patient characteristics, placement type, and maltreatment type.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

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Paediatric Integrated Care In The Primary Care Setting: A Scoping Review Of Populations Served, Models Used And Outcomes Measured, Jill Mcleigh, Lauren Malthaner, Caitlin Winebrenner, Kimberly Stone

Integrated, Trauma-Informed Care

Paediatric integrated care (PIC), which involves primary care and behavioural health clinicians working together with patients and families, has been promoted as a best practice in the provision of care. In this context, behavioural health includes behavioural elements in the care of mental health and substance abuse conditions, chronic illness and physical symptoms associated with stress, and addressing health behaviours.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

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Trauma-Informed Care Training For Medical Students, Tanisha Clark, Jill Mcleigh, Hilda Loria, Laura Lamminen

Integrated, Trauma-Informed Care

Due to the high prevalence of trauma and secondary trauma and the associated potential adverse health outcomes for both patients and providers, it is imperative that medical and allied professionals receive training in trauma as a constitutive element of their professional development. Despite the growing recognition of the importance of TIC, Ditcher and colleagues (2018) found in a survey of 263 family medicine residency programs that only 27.0% had TIC in the curriculum. Following a review of the literature and discussions with healthcare providers offering TIC in an integrated pediatric primary care setting, a brief, 45-minute online TIC training adapted …

Trauma-Informed, Integrated Primary Care: A Medical Home Model For Children With Prenatal Drug Exposure Who Enter Foster Care, Jill Mcleigh, Hilda Loria, Kelsey Craker, Susanna Bird

Integrated, Trauma-Informed Care

The rise in prenatal or childhood substance exposure diagnoses resulting from parental substance use has led to an increase in the number of children placed in foster care. Meeting the multifaceted health care needs of children with prenatal drug exposure (PDE) who enter foster care requires significant time, resources, and coordination. In addition to conditions resulting from their experiences of trauma, children in foster care often have unmet health care needs and experience disproportionate rates of adverse physical, mental and developmental health outcomes. This article outlines the barriers to providing comprehensive and high-quality care to this pediatric population and …

Infectious Disease Screening In A Dedicated Primary Care Clinic For Children In Foster Care, Jill Mcleigh, Sarah Lairmore, Kimberly Stone, Rong Huang

Health Status, Outcomes, and Literacy and Healthcare Utilization

Children in foster care are considered at high risk for infectious diseases, and guidelines recommend screening for tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Little is known about the prevalence of infectious disease in children in foster care.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

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Developmental Status Of Young Children In Foster Care, Jill Mcleigh, Cecy Lazcano, Karlyn Tunnell

Health Status, Outcomes, and Literacy and Healthcare Utilization

Children in foster care (CFC) may be at higher risk for developmental problems. This study sought to determine (1) the percentage of CFC with developmental problems seen at an integrated primary care clinic and (2) whether the presence of various risk factors was associated with increased odds of developmental problems in general and across developmental domains. This cross-sectional study used the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition, demographic, and health-related data retrieved from electronic health records. The study included 796 children aged 1 to 66 months seen at an integrated primary care clinic exclusively serving CFC. Frequencies and percentages of …

Research Participation Of Minor Adolescents In Foster Care, Jenny Francis, Jane Andresen, Heidi Kloster, Jill Mcleigh, Alexis Guzman, Susan Rosenthal

Health Status, Outcomes, and Literacy and Healthcare Utilization

In this study we evaluated published studies about foster care to: (1) determine the types of data used; (2) describe the degree to which a sexual/reproductive health topic was addressed; and (3) describe the consent process.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

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Transitioning From Foster Care To Adulthood: Supporting Adolescents And Young Adults, The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence

White Papers and Policy Briefs

Children involved in foster care have significant trauma histories and have often experienced substantial neglect and/or abuse. Such adverse childhood experiences can lead to cumulative toxic stress, which if not buffered by support and a consistent adult caregiver, can negatively impact physical, mental and socio-emotional development. Such experiences can also result in a lack of trust in adults and systems of care, which can further reduce sources of support for children in foster care.

For questions about this publication or others, please email [email protected]

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Association Of In‐Line Digestive Enzyme Cartridge With Enteral Feeds On Improvement In Anthropometrics Among Pediatric Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Karyn Shaw, Stacie Hunter, Minjae Lee, Meghana Sathe

2021

No abstract provided.

Dietary Management Of A 7-Year-Old Boy With S-Adenosylhomocysteine Hydrolase (Sah) Deficiency, Page Meachum, Garrett Gotway

2021

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Integrated Medical And Behavioral Health Care Model For Children In Foster Care: The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence, Kimberly Stone, Sara Moore, Sara Pollard

Integrated, Trauma-Informed Care

Children in foster care are classified as a population with special health care needs. They face multiple adverse childhood experiences and disrupted relationships, yet face barriers accessing consistent, high-quality health care. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends integrated physical and behavioral health care for children in foster care, but little is known about the implementation of integrated care for this population. As a pediatrician, doctor of nursing practice, and psychologist in an academic medical setting, we describe the development and implementation of the Rees-Jones Center for Foster Care Excellence, emphasizing the role of medical and behavioral health providers in promoting …

Healthcare Utilization Patterns Among Children With A History Of Child Protective Services Investigations, Jill Mcleigh, Christian Carr, Heidi Roman, Jessica Fults, Jennifer Reingle Gonzalez, Corron Sanders, Michiko Otsuki Clutter, Ray Tsai, Katelyn Jetelina

Health Status, Outcomes, and Literacy and Healthcare Utilization

Examine whether children with a prior child protective services (CPS) investigation had different healthcare utilization compared to children without a history of CPS investigations.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

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Caring For Children In Foster And Kinship Care During A Pandemic: Lessons Learned And Recommendations, Hilda Loria, Jill Mcleigh, Erinne Conner, Valerie Smith, Rachel Keefe, Christopher Greeley, Kristin Wolfe

Health Status, Outcomes, and Literacy and Healthcare Utilization

Through qualitative feedback from professionals in healthcare, mental health, and child welfare, this study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of children in the child welfare system. Positive outcomes and challenges related to the care of children in foster or kinship care in Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic are described. Themes identified included disparities in the child welfare system; utilization of telehealth; cross-sector communication and collaboration; safety considerations; and placement stability and support. The article concludes with recommendations in each of these areas for ensuring the health and well-being of children in foster and …

Caring For Children In Child Welfare Systems: A Trauma-Informed Model Of Integrated Primary Care, Jill Mcleigh, Laura Lamminen, Heidi Roman

Integrated, Trauma-Informed Care

Children involved with the child welfare system have high rates of behavioral health concerns, chronic health conditions, and developmental disabilities. Further, as a result of the complicated relationships among the court system, child protective services, and caregivers (i.e., biological, kinship, and/or foster caregivers) and the high volume of health-, behavior-, and development-related services children in care need, the services they receive tend to be fragmented and problem driven. On top of these challenges, children involved with the child welfare system have been exposed to trauma, and often more than one form of trauma. Taken together, these factors point to the …