Abstract
Many children enter foster care suffering from insufficient health care, poverty, homelessness, exposure to alcohol and other drugs, difficulties in school, and of course, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. Too many of these children are not receiving adequate treatment for their health conditions and it is causing considerable distress. Health and Education Passports were created to assist foster parents provide proper medical treatment to the foster child. The goal of the Health and Education Passport is to increase communication and provide a continuum of care to the child as he/she moves from placement to placement. This study gathered research from foster agencies about how effective and useful the Health and Education Passports are and its effects of the healthcare given to the child. Thirty questionnaires were returned from foster agencies in Sacramento County. Ages of the foster children ranged from 2 to 19 years old who have been in their current placement between 2 weeks to 7 years. Findings from this study show that Health and Education Passports are not following the child as he/she changes placement, and if they are, they are not helpful or complete. Therefore, the child and care providers do not have a medical history for this vulnerable population. As a result, this creates inconsistencies in health care coverage for foster children. The researchers recommend the implementation of a more efficient and effective passport system that can easily be accessed by caregivers and service providers.