Health Care Program for Children in Foster Care
The Health Care Program for Children in Foster Care (HCPCFC) is a state-administered, locally operated program. Public health nurses provide expertise in meeting the medical, dental, mental and developmental needs of children and youth in foster care. In collaboration and consultation with social workers and probation officers, public health nurses provide medical and health care case planning; support in obtaining timely health and dental assessments; expedited referrals for medical, dental, mental health and developmental services; education and more. Public health nurses also participate in creating and updating the Health and Education Passport for every child, and provide psychotropic medication monitoring and oversight. See FAQs and the program brochure (also in Spanish) for more detail.
Who can use this service?
The services are available to children age 0-18 in foster care and young adults age 18-21 in extended foster care.
Is there a charge for this service?
This service is provided free of charge.
When and where is this service offered?
Public health nurses provide these services at the Department of Social Services Office at 3433 S. Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo.
These services are available throughout the year during regular business hours except during scheduled holidays.
For more information, call 805-781-1715.
Frequently Asked Questions
The child must be scheduled for a regular health and dental checkup within 30 days after initial placement . If you need assistance finding a provider or scheduling an appointment, please contact our foster care nurse at 805-781-1715.
Children in foster care are eligible for the periodic CHDP exams and for full scope Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal Dental coverage, which covers the cost of these check-ups.
Public health nurses provide the following services to children in foster care in regards to psychotropic medications:
- Review the medical components of each request for psychotropic medication
- Review, monitor, and confirm that the juvenile court has authorized the psychotropic medication(s) the client is taking based on sufficient medical/psychiatric information
- Monitor a child’s treatment progress and advise the resource parent/foster parent of the rationale and importance of timely medical intervention
- Identify, refer and/or link resources, such as psychosocial therapeutic services needed by stakeholders to carry out client’s treatment plan
- Conduct joint reviews of case records for documentation of the psychotropic monitoring and oversight activities by the public health nurse with child welfare service agencies and probation departments
The foster parent should bring the child’s Health and Education Passport and the Health Care Encounter Form.
Please see the following lists of local providers in these areas:
Medical Provider List
Dental Provider List
Mental Health Provider List
Nutrition Resource List
Vision Provider List
If you have any questions, please call 805-781-1715.