School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Soc Work Health Care. 2010;49(2):91-108. doi: 10.1080/00981380903158037.
Caregivers in the child welfare system are an important element in ensuring that mental and pediatric health services for their children are utilized appropriately. The high prevalence of mental and physical health problems of children in the child welfare system along with the inadequate utilization of health services make the role of caregivers essential for improving health outcomes. This article explores the barriers to meeting the health needs of this vulnerable population of children and how different types of caregivers (unrelated foster, kinship foster, and birth parents) utilize mental and pediatric health services. Child welfare caseworkers need to increase their communication with caregivers, assess adherence to health care recommendations, and help alleviate barriers to care.
儿童福利系统中的照顾者是确保其子女获得适当的精神和儿科保健服务的重要因素。儿童福利系统中的儿童普遍存在心理健康和身体健康问题，且对卫生服务的利用不足，这使得照顾者在改善健康结果方面的作用至关重要。本文探讨了满足这一弱势群体儿童健康需求的障碍，以及不同类型的照顾者（无亲属关系的寄养、亲属寄养和亲生父母）如何利用精神和儿科保健服务。儿童福利工作者需要增加与照顾者的沟通，评估对医疗保健建议的依从性，并帮助减轻护理障碍。
