Managing Medicine for Foster Kids

Shania has a food allergy that affects her school performance, but it has not been diagnosed.

Dante needs glasses, but nobody knows that.

Both children are in the foster care system and, unfortunately, have fallen behind in their medical check-ups. When Dante moved in with his foster family, he changed schools, and missed a routine eye exam at both schools. When Shania was placed in a new home, she didn’t want to complain, and let her caretakers believe she was a picky eater.

As of January, 2017, Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services received a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health, allowing PCHAS to hire two Medical Case Managers. They will ensure that children in foster care receive required physicals and immunizations, as well as dental, vision and hearing screenings. The two-year pilot program will serve 130 children per year in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. Read the complete story in our Bridge newsletter.