**GAO-09-26**                      Published: Feb 06, 2009. Publicly Released: Feb 06, 2009.                  

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## Highlights

Providing health care services for foster children, who often have significant health care needs, can be challenging. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) oversees foster care, but state child welfare agencies are responsible for ensuring that these children receive health care services, which are often financed by Medicaid. In light of concerns about the health care needs of foster children, GAO was asked to study states' efforts to improve foster children's receipt of health services. This report has four objectives. It describes specific actions that some states have taken to (1) identify health care needs, (2) ensure delivery of appropriate health services, and (3) document and monitor the health care of children in foster care. It also describes the related technical assistance ACF offers to states. To address these objectives, GAO selected 10 states and interviewed state officials and reviewed related documentation regarding the nature and results of the states' practices. To describe ACF's technical assistance, GAO interviewed officials and reviewed documents from ACF, states, and relevant technical assistance centers.

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## Topics

Worker and Family Assistance

Child care programsChild welfareChildrenData collectionDisadvantaged personsDisease detection or diagnosisElectronic data interchangeElectronic recordsElectronic records managementstate relationsFoster childrenHealth care programsHealth care servicesInformation managementMedicaidMedical examinationsMental health care servicesMonitoringNeeds assessmentPhysiciansPolicy evaluationProgram managementRisk managementStandardsStandards evaluationWelfare recipientsPolicies and proceduresProgram goals or objectives