Foster Care Clinical Pathway — Outpatient Specialty Care

Provider Resources

General Information About Health of Children in Foster Care

Fostering Health: Healthcare for Children and Adolescents in Foster Care  
A manual developed by the AAP Task Force on Foster Care detailing healthcare standards for children and adolescents in foster care. Includes chapters for primary care, mental health, and child abuse professionals.

Foster Care (APP)  
Resources for pediatricians, including relevant AAP policy statements, primary care tools, podcasts and other educational sessions.

Pediatrician Guidance in Supporting Families of Children Who Are Adopted, Fostered, or in Kinship Care (APP)  
Provides information and recommendations for pediatricians caring for children in foster care.

Trauma-informed Care (APP)  
Provides tools to address trauma and traumatic stress.

Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Healthcare. Foster Care and Health in the U.S.
Reviews healthcare status of children in foster care, trauma-informed care, aging out of foster care, and national policies related to foster care.

AAP Clinical Report - Children Exposed to Maltreatment: Assessment and the Role of Psychotropic Medication 
Focuses on the appropriate use of psychotropic medication among children involved with the child welfare system. The discussion includes child welfare systems, assessment of traumatic experiences and principles for prescribing or discontinuing psychotropic medications.

Laboratory Screening for Children Entering Foster Care  
Evaluates the prevalence of illness detected by routine screening laboratory tests among children entering foster care.

Toxic Stress and Trauma-informed Care

SAMHSA National Center for Trauma-informed Care  
A program that provides technical assistance and training on trauma-informed care to service providers. The website also links to trauma-related resources such as helplines and a behavioral health treatment locator.

Center on Developing Child at Harvard University  
Harvard portal for scientific research and public policy related to early childhood adversity. Includes brief overviews of key concepts in the field and numerous reports and multimedia.

Child Trauma Academy  
A nonprofit organization that offers online courses on scientifically-informed methods for working with at-risk children and a library of articles related to child trauma.

Helping Foster and Adoptive Families Cope with Trauma  
A guide for pediatricians to identify traumatized children in foster and adoptive families and to support their families by sharing knowledge about the manifestations of trauma and offering coping strategies. Includes helpful handouts to print for families.

Safe and Sound: Responding to the Experiences of Children Adopted or in Foster Care  
Resources for parents, caseworkers, teachers, and childcare providers to help children who have experienced trauma. You can download a series of resources to help adults understand how to recognize and respond to the effects of trauma.

Developmental Resources

Elwyn Philadelphia Special Needs Resource Guide
Contains information about an array of services such as Early Intervention, after-school programs, and camps.

ASERT (Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training).  
A Pennsylvania collaborative designed to bring together resources locally, regionally and statewide.

Physical Therapy at CHOP
Physical therapists use exercise and therapeutic play activities to address children's and young adults' movement, coordination, balance, strength and endurance issues.

Occupational Therapy at CHOP
Provides services to children and young adults facing the social, emotional and physiological effects of illness and injury.

Speech-language Pathology at CHOP
The Department of Speech-language Pathology at CHOP evaluates and treats children with communication and swallowing difficulties.