Children in foster care often need special and frequent healthcare and mental health visits. The Village Care Program (VCP) helps get regular, personalized healthcare for kids in foster care.
We work with families and child welfare workers to make sure children in foster care get the medical, developmental, and mental health care they need. Our team of health and behavior experts offers extra support during one of the most difficult times in a family’s life.
Village Care Program Goals
Understanding your child's medical and developmental needs can be challenging. We aim to make this easier for you and your family. At VCP, our goal is for every foster child and family to have a village of support and collaboration. We work with families to build healing, connectedness, and resilience.
Healthcare for Kids in Foster Care
We provide trauma-informed care for a child's:
- Medical needs
- Dental health
- Vision
- Nutrition
- Medication
- Development
- Mental health
- Motor, feeding, sensory, and language challenges
Experts providing services include:
- Pediatricians
- Psychologists
- Developmental experts
- Nurse practitioners
- Therapists, as needed
To ease the healthcare experience, we also:
- Organize the child's care
- Offer virtual visits
No Falling Through the Cracks
The Village Care Program keeps kids - and their healthcare needs - from falling through the cracks. Find out how, plus support resources for foster parents.
When a child enters foster care, social services refers that child to VCP. Referrals also happen through UVA Health, if the child got treatment here. We schedule a first visit within a week.
Coming to the First Visit
The child should come to the first visit with the foster family. During the visit:
- We'll focus on getting settled, medical needs, and building a relationship with the providers.
- A psychologist will talk with the child and the foster family. They’ll also perform screenings.
- If the child needs other healthcare, they’ll also get it at this time.
We also offer a child's family a virtual appointment with a healthcare provider. Together, we'll create a complete care plan for the child and foster family. We'll also bring in other local team members to provide support.
Personalized Health Plans for Children in Foster Care
During a child's first visit, we create a Health Passport. This personalized health and wellness plan becomes part of the child's health record. That way, healthcare providers can see the plan and what the child needs.
The Passport is kept up to date. We use it to communicate, share information, and continue planning. Vital information stays with the child as they grow and situations change.