Starting Young

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the Starting Young Program, a pediatric developmental follow-up program for infants and toddlers involved with the public child welfare agency. Children are placed in family foster care when their parents cannot adequately care for them. The merits of foster care are frequently debated by both the public and professionals. Due to the interactions of both medical and social risk factors, children entering out-of-home care experience higher rates of both acute and chronic medical conditions, developmental delays, and mental health problems than those found among the general population. Starting Young tracks the children for reevaluations, offering continuity in helping their foster and biological parents understand the child's medical and developmental needs and obtain appropriate services. The tenuous nature of programs dependent on such arrangements is well-known to child welfare professionals. Child welfare agencies should examine their policy and practice guidelines to assure timely access to both routine and specialty health care evaluations.

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