Housed at Children’s Hospital Colorado, in affiliation with the Kempe Center, the clinic provides trauma-informed, culturally responsive care for children in foster and kinship care.
6 minute read
by Greg Glasgow | February 19, 2025
Along with the hurt, confusion, and sadness that come when a child is removed from their home by social services, a host of medical needs are often present as well.
From state-mandated wellness exams to concerns around developmental delays, disrupted educational circumstances, mental and behavioral health, prenatal substance exposure, and psychosocial concerns, children who are removed from their homes and placed in foster or kinship care typically need a specialized level of medical attention beyond what is considered the norm for others their age.
That’s why, in 2023, the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s sections of general academic pediatrics and psychiatry, in partnership with Kempe and Children’s Hospital Colorado, created the Kids in Care Settings (KICS) Clinic, exclusively serving children in out-of-home placement. Founded on the principles of trauma-informed, culturally responsive care, the clinic — located in the Child Health Clinic at Children’s Colorado — serves children along with their biological and foster or kinship families. KICS focuses on mental and behavioral health, physical health, and coordination and navigation of care among families, courts, and child welfare agencies. The clinic employs a multidisciplinary team that includes pediatricians, a psychologist, a nurse care coordinator, a social worker, a community health navigator, a child life specialist, a nurse and medical assistants, and Spanish-language interpreters.
Read the full news story here.
