Foster Family Support

As your medical home and Every Step clinic, we are committed to supporting the health and well-being of children and youth in foster care. Foster youth face unique physical, emotional, and social challenges, including additional trauma from multiple placements. Metropolitan Pediatrics is here for our foster families every day, every step of the way.

Foster Youth Care Coordinators

When it comes to navigating care for the foster kids in your life, we’re happy to be your family’s go-to resource. Metro Pediatrics has dedicated foster youth care coordinators to help make sure foster families get the specialized support they need. If there’s anything we can do to make the tough job of foster parenting any easier, please get in touch:

Jennifer Wallingford, BS (503) 468-5589 [email protected]

Tara Kerwin, MSW, CSWA (503) 553-5930 [email protected]

Lori Salyers, LPN  (503) 486-7040 [email protected]

Services We Offer

• Coordination of care with caseworkers + medical, dental, and behavioral health services
• Transitional support for youth aging out of foster care
• Staff and providers who are trained in trauma-informed care
• Support for biological and adoptive families
• 24/7 advice + support
• Weekend appointments for well-child, illness, and injury visits

We encourage patients to contact us before going to an urgent care clinic or emergency room.

Caring for Youth in Foster Care

Kids in foster care should have well exams and other important care at the following ages and frequencies:

We Want to Know, So We Can Help

If you have a foster youth in your home, please let us know and share the following information with your primary care provider (PCP):

• The child’s DHS Child Welfare caseworker name and contact information.
• Placement letter provided to you by DHS Child Welfare.
• Any medical information you received when the child was placed with you, including any current concerns, medications, or allergies. If you were not provided this information when the child came to your home, you can request it from their caseworker.
• Any patterns or behaviors you have noticed since the child was placed with you, especially regarding sleeping, eating, toileting, and adapting to your family. If the child was being seen by a different provider, please provide the name of the provider and clinic.
• If the child was hospitalized prior to being placed in your home, bring the hospital discharge summary with you.
• Ask your provider for an after-visit summary (AVS).

Resources for Foster Families

There are many sources of information and support for foster families. Here are some services and connections in the foster care field that we recommend:

• Oregon Foster Children’s Bill of Rights
• Oregon Foster Parent Bill of Rights
• ODHS: Back to School Toolkit for Foster Families in Multnomah County
• DHS Oregon Child Welfare: Foster Parent Resource Guide
• Child Welfare Information Gateway: Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma
• Adoption.com offers foster parent training and education, including books, newsletters, articles, and online training.
• ChildTrauma Academy works to improve the lives of high-risk children through direct service, research, and education.
• FosterClub is a national network for young people in foster care. It provides young people in foster care an opportunity to connect and gain support from their peers. The non-profit organization also provides online training and resources for foster parents.
• Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center (ORPARC) provides services for Oregon DHS adoptive and assisted guardianship families. Services included information, assistance, referral, in-depth consultation, advocacy and support, and parent education and training. Foster parents and relative caregivers are also welcome at ORPARC trainings.
  • Foster & Adoptive Parent Library – The ORPARC also has a wonderful online lending library that is free to use for Oregon foster, relative, pre-adoptive, guardianship, and adoptive parents.