UNDERSTANDING THE

REGULATIONS:

What Alaskan Foster Parents

Need to Know

#3

CHILD HEALTH AND MEDICATIONS

1.0 Hour Training Credit

Written and Produced by:

The Alaska Foster Parent Training Center

1-800-478-7307

Funded by the State of Alaska

Division of Family and Youth Services

UNDERSTANDING THE REGULATIONS:

What Alaskan Foster Parents Need to Know

WHEN A CHILD FIRST COMES INTO YOUR HOME…

When a child first comes into your home, get whatever basic health information you can from the placement worker. Ask if the child has any immediate physical or medical needs. Ask if the child has any allergies that are known, uses any medical equipment (such as a monitor) or uses any medication. If he uses medication, find out what it is, what it is for and where it is. You should never take a child without obtaining the CONSENT FOR EMERGENCY AND ROUTINE MEDICAL CARE form. This allows you to get emergency care for a child and to obtain routine care such as Well Child checkups or immunizations. Non-emergency major medical care requires the consent of the birth parents or DFYS consent if parental rights have been terminated.

WHAT DO THE REGULATIONS SAY ABOUT GIVING

MEDICINES TO A FOSTER CHILD?

A foster parent may give prescription medicine and special medical procedures to a child only as authorized by a doctor or legally authorized health provider. If a child is taking prescription medicine, keep the medication in its original container. This container should have a label showing the date filled, the expiration date, instructions, and the physician’s or health provider’s name. Keep all written records regarding the medication.

If treatment is completed and medication is left over, throw it away! Do not save the medicine used with one child to treat another, even if you think the child has the same illness! Unused medications spell trouble in a house with children. Keep all medications out of the reach of children. For common illness or injury, a foster parent can use over-the-counter drugs such as:

Use these medications only according to directions unless a health provider indicates otherwise. If you receive different directions from your health provider, get those instructions in writing. You should always follow the medical instruction given to you by the medical professionals working with the child in your care.

Drugs prescribed for mental illness or behavioral problems are called psychotropic drugs. Psychotropic drugs are considered non-emergency major medical care and must have the consent of birth parents or DFYS approval if parental rights have been terminated. If medication for behavioral or mental problems (such drugs for depression) is prescribed, seek approval from the social worker before administering to a child.

A NOTE ON CONFIDENTIALITY:

Foster parents are bound under the ethics and law of confidentiality not to share personal information about a foster child with someone outside that child’s circle of care. A child’s medical information should be shared only on a need-to-know basis. This means you share information that is needed by the caregiver in order to provide appropriate care for a foster child.

Share any medical information you may have on a child with that child’s health provider and of course with the placement worker. If someone is providing extended care to a child, special care techniques or procedures needed by the child needs to be shared. If you do not know if you can share information about a child, talk to your placement worker or health provider about what needs to be shared with others working with your child.

You should also keep all medical records in a safe, secure place that is not accessible to people outside your family.

For more information about the UNDERSTANDING THE REGULATIONS: What Alaskan Foster Parents Need to Know series, contact the Alaskan Foster Parent Training Center at 1-800-478-7307. In Fairbanks/North Pole, call 479-7307.

WHAT DO THE REGULATIONS SAY ABOUT REDUCING THE

SPREAD OF DISEASE?

Foster children often come into care with little known about their medical history. To keep foster children and families safe from contagious diseases, the regulations advise all foster homes to follow basic precautions to reduce risk against the spread of Hepatitis B, giardia, HIV, and other infectious diseases. These practices are called Universal Precautions. Universal Precautions reduce the risk of diseases passed through bodily fluids. Bodily fluids include blood, saliva, feces, vomit, and semen.

Everyone in your house should follow these health practices including respite workers and babysitters. Parents and children alike should wash their hands before handling, preparing or eating food or setting the table or handling dishes or silverware. Always wash hands with water and soap after using the toilet, assisting a child in using the toilet, or changing diapers. Teach children to wash their hands as well. Handwashing with hot water and soap is a simple, extremely effective way to cut down on sickness in your home.

State law says that foster parents have the right to know any known medical, health and behavioral information about a child placed in their home. The placement worker should share with you any of this information, including information on the child’s HIV status if that is a factor. However, foster care regulations specify that foster parents may not have an HIV or AIDS test done on a child in their care.

*Excerpted from Universal Precautions by the Canadian Child Care Federation

WHAT DO THE REGULATIONS SAY ABOUT MEDICAL CARE AND IMMUNIZATIONS?

Foster parents are responsible to make sure children get regular medical care (immunizations, dental and medical exams). Foster parents can use the CONSENT FOR EMERGENCY AND ROUTINE MEDICAL CARE form to get routine and emergency care. But if a major medical procedure is required that is not an emergency, consent must be obtained from the birth parent. If parental rights have been terminated, DFYS must consent to the procedure.

Every child in foster care needs to be immunized according to the schedule outlined in E.P.S.D.T. (Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment) Program, also know as the "Healthy Kids" Program. E.P.S.D.T. is the program through Medicaid providing medical assistance to children in foster care. Many foster children are eligible for Medicaid coupons that are used to pay doctors and health professionals.

When a child is placed with you, try to determine within the first month of care if the child is up-to-date with his immunizations. The recommended immunization schedule currently used by the Healthy Kids Program or E.P.S.D.T. is included in this packet. Ask the child’s caseworker for any medical records or the child’s previous doctor or evidence that they have used the Indian Health Service if the child is Alaskan Native or American Indian. If a child is not up to date with his immunizations, make an appointment with a doctor or health care provider.

Children should also receive regular check ups and health care according to the E.P.S.D.T. schedule included in this information packet. Try to find out when the child last saw a health care provider. This information may be hard to get because it may not be known at the time of placement. Always ask for it, however, and keep records of what you were able to get and what information was not available to you. If you could not get any information, document any attempts you took to get it. Schedule a physical exam of the child coming into your care within 30 days of placement, unless the child had an exam within the last year. For a child three and younger, the exam should have been within three months of his placement in your home. Children over three years old should also have a dental exam once a year.

Finally, keep all records of care or treatment your foster child receives. These records will go with the child when he leaves your home. If you do not have official treatment records, write down any care the child received. Describe what was done, by whom, the name and address of the health provider, and dates of the treatment. Keep these records on file. A form is included in this packet as an example of what information should be recorded. If a child receives special treatment in care, such as treatment for alcoholism, or mental health counseling, keep the same information.

E.P.S.D.T./ Healthy Kids Program

State of Alaska

Medical Exam and Immunization Schedule

(At the time of publication, this is the most current immunization schedule. Ask your health provider for updates.)

*Advisable But Not Required

Alaska Department of Health & Social Services

SAMPLE FORM

Division of Family & Youth Services

CONSENT FOR EMERGENCY AND ROUTINE MEDICAL CARE

DOB: _____________ to receive emergency medical, surgical, dental, or optical care and routine medical, dental, or optical care, including check-ups, immunizations, and/or treatment for minor illnesses and accidents.

In an emergency this form also authorizes the care provider to immediately seek medical assistance for the child. When the incident is life threatening or requires hospitalization the careprovider immediately informs the placement worker, so that the child’s parents or court can be contacted. When possible/appropriate, the parent will be contacted to give consent for treatment. Parental consent is especially important for any major emergency medical care including surgery or use of general anesthesia.

Non emergency major medical care always requires consent from the parent(s) or the court before the care may be provided. Examples include surgery, anesthesia, psychotropic medication or any drugs prescribed for mental illness or behavioral problems. If parental rights have been terminated, consent from the parent(s) is not required, but Division consent is required.

o Provider may contact parent directly in addition to notifying the placement worker. o Mother o Father

Mother _________________________________ Home Phone __________________ Work Phone__________________________

Father __________________________________ Home Phone __________________ Work Phone __________________________

If practical, the following Medical Providers should be used: Doctor: _______________________ Phone _______________________

Therapist: ____________________ Phone _________________ Dentist: _____________________ Phone ____________________

Date Last Physical Exam: ______________ Conducted by: _______________________________ Phone ______________________

Child’s Allergies, including drugs, any medication the child is taking or medical treatment the child requires: ______________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If known, immediate and long term medical or therapeutic needs: _______________________________________________________

o Immunization Record attached. If not attached, location of child’s record, if known: _______________________________________

This child has been determined eligible for Medicaid o Yes o No MEDICAID NUMBER _________________________

o Medicaid has been applied for. Until approval is received, forward medical bills to the Placement Worker at address below.

The medical provider is permitted to provide necessary medical information to the payor.

06-9716 (Rev. 2/96) CPS YC LIC

SAMPLE MEDICAL CARE DOCUMENTATION

Foster parents need to keep the following information whenever a child receives medical care, dental care, or treatment such as alcoholism treatment. If you do not have a record of medical care received by a child, document the following information in your records. This information should go with the child when he or she leaves your home.

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