First Focus

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As a population, children who have been abused or neglected often have a range of unique physical and mental health needs, physical disabilities and developmental delays, far greater than other high-risk populations. For instance, foster children are more likely than other children who receive their health care coverage through Medicaid to experience emotional and psychological disorders and have more chronic medical problems. This policy brief highlights a number of critical health concerns and policies impacting children in the foster care system. We believe that in order to truly improve the provision of health care for children in foster care, we must shift our federal efforts and investments toward developing a more comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of foster children.