Access to Health Care for Foster Youth

Children and youth involved in child welfare have a right to comprehensive, high-quality, and trauma-informed health care. Current and former foster youth often have complex needs, due in part to compounding experiences with trauma and often inadequate access to appropriate services. Medicaid provides a critical safety net for young people to access the care they need, when and where they need it.

The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) engages in policy advocacy and litigation to improve access to high quality and comprehensive health care coverage and services for current and former foster youth. Additionally, NHeLP provides extensive education to advocates, providers, youth, caregivers, and other stakeholders through trainings and educational materials, including factsheets, issue briefs, and guides intended to help young people navigate complex and confusing health and social service delivery systems. Though NHeLP’s work is largely focused on foster youth and transition-age youth in California, this page also includes some advocacy resources that can be helpful to advocates across the country.