WEBVTT 1 00:00:19.780 --> 00:00:31.609 Tricia Brooks: Good afternoon, everyone. We're gonna hold for a moment or 2 while everyone joins us here in the live room. So just bear with us for a few moments. 2 00:01:20.810 --> 00:01:40.779 Tricia Brooks: Okay, we've got a packed agenda today. So I'm going to get us started, even though I know there are more people joining as we do, and good afternoon to all of you again. I am Tricia Brooks. I'm a research professor here at the Georgetown Center for children and families, and we will really welcome you and thank you for joining us. 3 00:01:41.140 --> 00:02:01.610 Tricia Brooks: I'm sure you all know that Medicaid is a hot topic in the policy and political world these days, and not all of our elected officials and policymakers fully understand the breadth and depth of Medicaid's importance to the people. It serves, as well as to the healthcare sector and each State's economy. 4 00:02:01.610 --> 00:02:27.259 Tricia Brooks: so to help educate the public and policy makers. The Georgetown Center for children and families is teaming up with partners in the field to document and discuss Medicaid's impact on specific groups and sectors. Today, our focus is on the role of Medicaid in serving and supporting children and families before, during and after an encounter with the child welfare system. 5 00:02:27.780 --> 00:02:35.610 Tricia Brooks: We are so grateful to our national partners and speakers for their collaboration on today's webinar. Next slide, please, Nancy. 6 00:02:36.710 --> 00:02:52.390 Tricia Brooks: 1st we will hear from Zach Larris, who has taken the lead in coordinating today's speakers, and we're really grateful for that Zach Zach worked with us to develop Ccf's new brief on Medicaid and child welfare, which he will discuss in a few minutes. 7 00:02:52.610 --> 00:03:13.460 Tricia Brooks: Zach is a child welfare, policy, entrepreneur. I love that term and writer. His organization, boulder, horizon creates nonpartisan education, resources for policymakers. He writes, a weekly Federal child welfare policy, newsletter the Child Welfare Walk. 8 00:03:13.910 --> 00:03:33.429 Tricia Brooks: Following Zach, we'll hear from Christina Simmons with the Children's Trust Fund Alliance. Christina is a nationally recognized parent advocate who created the 1st parent partner advocacy program in the State of Mississippi to support families involved with the child welfare system. 9 00:03:33.590 --> 00:03:48.519 Tricia Brooks: She is the lead facilitator for the Children Trust Funds, alliance, birth, parent, national network which promotes birth parents as leaders and strategic partners in prevention and child welfare systems reform. 10 00:03:48.880 --> 00:04:11.849 Tricia Brooks: Christina has lived experience, and her story is one of success. She was able to regain custody of her children after they were placed out of her home for a year by the child welfare system, and she continues to rely on Medicaid to meet her family's critical health and mental health needs, and is eager to share its importance to her family. 11 00:04:11.980 --> 00:04:35.429 Tricia Brooks: And then next up we'll hear from Beth. Patton. Beth is a caregiver advocate with generations united, which represents kinship, caregivers as a solo grandparent, raising 3 adopted grandchildren. Beth works as a hospice social worker and has previous experience as a mental health clinician and educator for children with special health care needs. 12 00:04:36.370 --> 00:05:02.570 Tricia Brooks: and last, but certainly not least. We'll hear from Zoe Jones. Walton Zoe is one of over 300 lived experience leaders in Foster Club, the National Network for empowering youth in foster care and driving systemic change with a college degree. She is now channeling her personal journey through Texas's foster care system into pursuing a master's in counseling. 13 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:11.659 Tricia Brooks: Having rebuilt connections with her biological family. After aging out of the system, Zoe brings authenticity and empathy to her work. 14 00:05:12.200 --> 00:05:20.779 Tricia Brooks: we will have time for Q. And a. But because we have such a large number of registrants, we ask that you put your questions in the Q. And a feature. 15 00:05:21.030 --> 00:05:32.880 Tricia Brooks: But before we jump into the topic at hand. I just want to take a few minutes to recap the importance of Medicaid and highlight. What's happening in the National Medicaid policy landscape. 16 00:05:33.050 --> 00:05:34.619 Tricia Brooks: Next slide, please. 17 00:05:35.930 --> 00:05:59.049 Tricia Brooks: You know, approximately 40% of Americans rely on health insurance that is supported by Federal funding. But, as you can see here the largest group with current enrollment at 72 million people would be Medicaid and Chip. These numbers are a little lower because of us having to align the bubbles. But we do have 72 million people currently in Medicaid. 18 00:05:59.260 --> 00:06:00.900 Tricia Brooks: Next slide, please. 19 00:06:01.640 --> 00:06:18.659 Tricia Brooks: In fact, Medicaid is the largest source of Federal funds for the States averaging more than 56%. And this alone tells you that cuts to Medicaid can have a significant impact on state budgets and credit ratings. Next slide, please. 20 00:06:19.050 --> 00:06:47.409 Tricia Brooks: Medicaid has a large imprint on health care. It's the largest funder of long-term care services for seniors. It's the largest funder of substance, abuse treatment and mental health services together. Medicaid and Chip cover nearly half of all children, including most children, with special health care, needs, and almost all children in Foster care. 21 00:06:47.690 --> 00:07:01.969 Tricia Brooks: Medicaid plays a key role in pandemics like Covid and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Medicaid's, also critical to maternal health covering between 40 and 50% of births 22 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:06.130 Tricia Brooks: and Medicaid is particularly important to rural areas. 23 00:07:06.622 --> 00:07:15.660 Tricia Brooks: Not only providing access to low income children and families, but supporting rural hospitals, which are often the largest employer in the community. 24 00:07:15.810 --> 00:07:17.389 Tricia Brooks: Next slide, please. 25 00:07:17.900 --> 00:07:32.420 Tricia Brooks: Now, because of the many roles that Medicaid plays, it requires a complex State Federal partnership that varies across 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Us. Territories. 26 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:42.470 Tricia Brooks: more than 950 billion dollars in Federal funding supported Medicaid in 2024, covering those 72 million Americans. 27 00:07:42.670 --> 00:07:54.999 Tricia Brooks: and it reimburses for services delivered by tens of thousands of individual doctors and healthcare practitioners, hospitals, nursing facilities and other institutional providers. 28 00:07:55.130 --> 00:08:00.340 Tricia Brooks: as well as hundreds of managed care organizations next slide, please. 29 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:18.659 Tricia Brooks: But Medicaid is threatened by proposed Federal spending cuts to help pay for tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations. If you follow Federal policy making, you'll know that under regular order legislation requires 60 votes in the Senate. 30 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:44.530 Tricia Brooks: however, a slim majority in the Senate negates that option. So Congress will use one of its tools called budget reconciliation, that only requires a simple majority vote and is not subject to the filibuster. However, any provisions in budget reconciliation must have a budgetary impact, that is, whether it be tax spending or debt limits. Next slide, please. 31 00:08:45.480 --> 00:08:58.310 Tricia Brooks: As Congress contemplates action, we have some insight into what may be on the chopping block by looking at a menu of potential cuts identified by the House Ways and Means Committee. 32 00:08:58.590 --> 00:09:14.860 Tricia Brooks: Now you may have heard President Trump say on more than one occasion, now that he loves and cherishes Medicaid, but he endorsed the House Budget resolution that earmarks 880 billion dollars in health cuts. 33 00:09:15.020 --> 00:09:23.360 Tricia Brooks: Following the President's Declaration House, Speaker Mike Johnson said that the 1st 2 items on the list on this slide 34 00:09:23.550 --> 00:09:24.990 Tricia Brooks: are off the table. 35 00:09:25.090 --> 00:09:50.360 Tricia Brooks: The 1st would have converted Medicaid from a guaranteed Federal funding to capped funding per person called per capita caps that would not keep pace with health care, inflation, and the second would be to reduce the 90% Federal match for the Medicaid adult expansion population. Both of those as well as these other cuts, are huge cost shifts to the States. 36 00:09:50.490 --> 00:10:02.519 Tricia Brooks: Now, as you can see, both of those items were big tickets, but that makes it much more difficult to piece together a variety of cuts to reach that 880 billion dollars target. 37 00:10:02.860 --> 00:10:12.920 Tricia Brooks: Now, this could be a webinar in itself. So I'm going to invite you to keep up with the current state of affairs by reading our say, our blog 38 00:10:13.100 --> 00:10:15.690 Tricia Brooks: keep plug there for Ccf. 39 00:10:16.020 --> 00:10:17.649 Tricia Brooks: Next slide, please. 40 00:10:18.010 --> 00:10:40.029 Tricia Brooks: before I turn to our speakers, I would like to close with just a quick summary of where things stand now, despite the President's promise to protect Medicaid, the House Budget resolution passed last Tuesday, and the goal is to find between 1.5 and 2 trillion dollars in savings. 41 00:10:40.110 --> 00:10:55.120 Tricia Brooks: and it instructs the Energy and Commerce Committee which has jurisdiction over Medicaid to cut at least. That's a floor, and it's mandatory at least 880 billion in health cuts. 42 00:10:55.530 --> 00:11:09.129 Tricia Brooks: Now this is a 1 bill. Do everything plan on the House side, and that wasn't exactly where the Senate was. The Senate prefers 2 bills delaying spending cuts. 43 00:11:09.130 --> 00:11:34.050 Tricia Brooks: They also passed a budget resolution with instructions to find at least 1 billion in cuts. Now we know again that. That's a way, you know, not to necessarily put your stake in the sand. It's really just a way to get that legislation through. So what's next? We would expect the 2 chambers to come together to hopefully find some common ground 44 00:11:34.050 --> 00:11:53.530 Tricia Brooks: and come up with a joint budget resolution. We don't know what that looks like the House could adopt the Senate version. The Senate could adopt the House version. But it's unlikely that either of those actions are going to happen. We also have the added complication that the funding for the Government 45 00:11:53.530 --> 00:12:21.789 Tricia Brooks: expires on March 14, th that, as if you've watched past years of this haggling over the continuing resolution to keep the government funding. It's also a pretty big deal for Congress to find some kind of compromise on how long they want to keep the government funded. So we've got that complication coming up. 46 00:12:21.790 --> 00:12:46.589 Tricia Brooks: and you know the sands shift every day. So again stay tuned to say, and future webinars that we have on this topic, and with that I'm going to hand it off to Zach to really immerse us in the topic at hand, which is the impact of Medicaid on the people in the child welfare system. Thank you, Zach. 47 00:12:48.130 --> 00:12:49.409 Zach Laris: Thanks so much, Tricia. 48 00:12:52.520 --> 00:13:07.840 Zach Laris: and thank you to our incredible panelists, who I can't wait for everybody to get a chance to hear from, and to all of you for being here this afternoon, really excited to have the chance to talk with everybody about the role of a strong Medicaid program in supporting strong families. So next slide, please. 49 00:13:10.400 --> 00:13:30.359 Zach Laris: So when we talk about the child welfare system and child welfare, policy interventions and their intersection with Medicaid at its root. Really, what we're talking about is trauma and the impact that it has on children and families and relationships, those attachment relationships with parents and caregivers and other important adults in a child's life. 50 00:13:30.550 --> 00:13:53.690 Zach Laris: and at every step of the way child welfare policy is oriented to supporting, healing and helping families build those important relationships, and at every step Medicaid is there to be an integral hand in hand partner in that work? When we think about the role of preventing abuse and neglect from happening. In the 1st place, through all of the things that families need to thrive. 51 00:13:53.760 --> 00:14:22.489 Zach Laris: whether we're thinking about supporting families who are experiencing a crisis to prevent foster care and prevent unnecessary removal with services and supports. Whether we're talking about foster care itself or permanency afterwards, that durable set of connections and relationships, or the transition into adulthood at every step of the way Medicaid is there to strengthen families. And that's why I'm so excited for you to hear from our panelists today. Next slide, please. 52 00:14:24.500 --> 00:14:46.930 Zach Laris: When it comes to the safety and well-being of children, we know that increased access to health coverage, including Medicaid is associated with reduced child abuse and neglect. We know that access to health coverage and access to the critical care that Medicaid provides is vital to promoting permanency and helping support the stability of families. 53 00:14:47.030 --> 00:15:04.720 Zach Laris: And we know that Medicaid plays a key role in well-being and access to health services, not just for children and young people in care, which is critically important, but also for parents, for caregivers, and for everyone else in a child's life, as they 54 00:15:05.070 --> 00:15:07.059 Zach Laris: pursue a thriving future. 55 00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:08.459 Zach Laris: Next slide, please. 56 00:15:09.890 --> 00:15:31.340 Zach Laris: When we think about the role of Medicaid supporting parents in particular, parents who may come into contact with the child welfare system, access to substance, use disorder. Treatment is a really critical part of the puzzle here, so we know that a 3rd of entries into foster care at least, are connected to parental substance, use disorder. 57 00:15:31.410 --> 00:15:46.420 Zach Laris: and we also know that nearly half of children who enter foster care go back home to family. And so it's clear that helping parents heal access the treatment that they need, and then providing those services to both the parent and the child together. 58 00:15:46.420 --> 00:16:01.910 Zach Laris: are critical to the stability and permanency and durability of families both before they come into contact with the system, and as they reunify which we'll be hearing about in a few minutes, and Medicaid is critical for that access and stability. Next slide, please. 59 00:16:03.470 --> 00:16:21.240 Zach Laris: Medicaid is also key to think about stability when we're talking about kinship families. So relatives, other adults important in a child's life and adoptive families, and we'll be hearing in a few moments about how kinship care is really the gold standard in foster care, and about a 3rd of kids who are in foster care are placed with kin. 60 00:16:21.260 --> 00:16:36.710 Zach Laris: Almost a 3rd of children who exit the child welfare system do so via adoption. And one critical thing that Medicaid is able to cover is for children with special needs adopted from the foster care system. They have access to Medicaid coverage. 61 00:16:36.710 --> 00:16:57.270 Zach Laris: So whether you're a grandparent raising a grandchild or an adoptive family forming a new forever home. What Medicaid is there to do is, make sure that you can focus on creating that loving family and not spend all of your time playing with excel spreadsheets and worrying about where to pay the next medical bill that may come into your email inbox soon. Next slide, please. 62 00:16:58.840 --> 00:17:04.720 Zach Laris: and Medicaid is key for children and young people in and aging out of the child welfare system. 63 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:26.390 Zach Laris: So we know that 80% of children and youth entering care come in with a significant mental health need a 3rd have a chronic condition, and Medicaid and its critical coverage cover 99% of children in care. They provide access to care up to age 26 through Medicaid for the 18,000 young people who age out of foster care each year 64 00:17:26.390 --> 00:17:39.150 Zach Laris: and provide access to key targeted tailored mental health services, things like treatment, foster care that are vital to helping young people heal and thrive and form those critical relationships. Next slide, please. 65 00:17:40.230 --> 00:17:56.100 Zach Laris: So in just a moment I will hand things over to our panel to share their perspectives with you. The last thing I will say is, thank you for being here, and as you listen today and think about what you would like to do in terms of being able to educate and engage partners, policymakers. 66 00:17:56.100 --> 00:18:11.489 Zach Laris: others with whom you're doing this work. Please know that we look forward to being able to share resources with you, to help support you in that endeavor. So thank you for being here, and thank you for your interest today without any further ado. I'd love to turn things over to Christina to share her perspective. 67 00:18:13.450 --> 00:18:14.539 Christina Simmons: Thank you, Zach. 68 00:18:14.710 --> 00:18:33.559 Christina Simmons: Hi, everybody! My name is Christina Simmons, and I'm a parent single mother of 6 children, ages 19 to 2, and it is a joy and a pleasure to raise those children. I tell a lot of my friends, I said. Mama's tied, but my children are happy. 69 00:18:33.760 --> 00:18:40.319 Christina Simmons: and that's what I like to thrive. That's what makes me go. That's what makes me continue to take care of them. 70 00:18:40.470 --> 00:18:45.780 Christina Simmons: I want to share my experience that I had with raising my oldest son. 71 00:18:45.930 --> 00:18:52.650 Christina Simmons: He's 19 years old, nonverbal and autistic. And so to get to that diagnosis 72 00:18:52.740 --> 00:19:10.340 Christina Simmons: we noticed at about 3 years old that he would not talk now. He was very active. He would do jump, run! He would scream. We couldn't hardly really take him into grocery stores because he didn't do good, and so we started immediately, taking him, making appointments for him 73 00:19:10.340 --> 00:19:23.289 Christina Simmons: with speech pathologists and other specialists to try to figure out what was going on, and so, around the age of 4 he was finally diagnosed with autism. It took us about a year to finally get that diagnosis. 74 00:19:23.290 --> 00:19:46.790 Christina Simmons: and without Medicaid, we would have not been able to afford those different type of specialist appointments, or either continue to take him to different appointments. That cost money. I mean, you know, today he still sees his doctors. He still sees his specialists and takes medication for mental health. His medications a month range about $587 a month. 75 00:19:46.790 --> 00:20:14.899 Christina Simmons: so without Medicaid I would not be able to afford that medication monthly that he takes every day. Harlan is thriving at this point 19 years old. He has graduated high school. He's thriving, and I mean he's just a bright child, but without Medicaid, and being able to get this diagnosis and provide those services that he needs, we would we would have not had the money, or being able to afford to do that. 76 00:20:15.810 --> 00:20:25.400 Christina Simmons: I also would like to share my experience with my family. Going through domestic violence with my now ex-husband 77 00:20:25.530 --> 00:20:52.070 Christina Simmons: going through that domestic violence and separation from my spouse. Medicaid sustained me and my family, because we experienced major trauma going through that, and so weekly. My children and I frequented therapy appointments, counseling, you know, special therapy appointments for my children to move past what we have been through, and also for myself. Without Medicaid paying for those visits. 78 00:20:52.070 --> 00:21:04.180 Christina Simmons: it would, it would have been difficult, and to get through those to get through those to get through that time. I think about it now and and you know it's devastating to to think 79 00:21:04.220 --> 00:21:24.719 Christina Simmons: if we wouldn't have had Medicaid, how would we have gotten through that, you know. Would I had been reported, you know. What would my children had been removed from me if I wasn't able to get them the help they need. You know it's just such a you know. Medicaid is so major and critical in the lives of parents and families. You know 80 00:21:24.780 --> 00:21:29.369 Christina Simmons: we would. We wouldn't have been able to get through that time. Excuse me 81 00:21:30.130 --> 00:21:35.149 Christina Simmons: also, during that time going through separation, I was pregnant 82 00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:56.179 Christina Simmons: with my last baby girl, and so during that pregnancy I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and hospitalized, and so, without having Medicaid Medicaid sustained us, I mean. Medicaid sustained us through that time. My medications for me daily. I take insulin, and they're $600 per dosage. 83 00:21:56.850 --> 00:22:20.400 Christina Simmons: You know, just, you know, just to even think of how I would be able to afford that, and to be able to take care of my children, pay rent, continue to do the things that we need to do daily for them to thrive as they're doing now. We need Medicaid to get that done. I mean, I work. I work my hands to the bone, but I still need Medicaid because I'm still at the poverty level 84 00:22:20.470 --> 00:22:33.969 Christina Simmons: with 6 children, and so Medicaid is critical. It's a staple. It maintains my family. It sustains us. I have a 2 year old who's in daycare, I mean she'll pop up with a fever, I mean, you know. 85 00:22:34.240 --> 00:23:01.270 Christina Simmons: any time, and I have to get up and take her to the emergency room to figure out what's going on, you know, without Medicaid I wouldn't be able to afford those $150. Doctor visits those $200 er visits, you know. I mean, it just wouldn't happen. And so it's devastating to think, when I was when I was listening earlier, about all the cuts that they're thinking about doing, it's devastating to think of what that would do to our families. 86 00:23:01.510 --> 00:23:16.440 Christina Simmons: And we need this. I mean not only myself, but other parents, that struggle just like me working, but still have multiple children in their home to take care of without Medicaid. We don't want to think about what we would have to do 87 00:23:16.650 --> 00:23:27.549 Christina Simmons: without it, and so, you know, just to be able to have that health benefit, for mental health, for for health care, coverage for our families. It's a staple. 88 00:23:27.550 --> 00:23:48.529 Christina Simmons: you know to help our families. And so it's very important to continue to have this coverage for my family. I would not want to think about what it could do as a young mother myself. I think about young mothers. I have a burden for young mothers that have that have several children as I was, and it. 89 00:23:48.860 --> 00:23:50.790 Christina Simmons: It can be a safety issue 90 00:23:50.930 --> 00:23:57.919 Christina Simmons: for a mother, not knowing how to take care of these little babies, but still needing to take them to the doctor, and don't have that coverage to take them. 91 00:23:58.200 --> 00:24:04.679 Christina Simmons: And so I thank you guys for having me, and I will pass it to Beth now to talk about kinship, care. 92 00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:10.440 Beth Patton: Hi! 93 00:24:10.600 --> 00:24:17.809 Beth Patton: I am Beth Patton. I'm a generations united. Grand voice and caregiver advocate from southeast Kansas. 94 00:24:18.130 --> 00:24:23.840 Beth Patton: I am a single grandmother who is raising her 3 adoptive grandchildren. 95 00:24:24.340 --> 00:24:31.490 Beth Patton: I am passionate about supporting grand families and kinship care, ensuring that our collective voices are heard. 96 00:24:31.700 --> 00:24:35.810 Beth Patton: and in working towards policies that uplift our communities. 97 00:24:36.660 --> 00:24:42.180 Beth Patton: The reason I share my story with you today is to illustrate the tremendous healing impact 98 00:24:42.380 --> 00:24:49.359 Beth Patton: that Medicaid has the access to Medicaid has had on our entire family over the past 6 years. 99 00:24:49.960 --> 00:24:58.949 Beth Patton: One goal to ensure equity with Medicaid is to be able to provide it uniformly accessible to all kids in out of home placement. 100 00:25:00.230 --> 00:25:03.070 Beth Patton: However, in Kansas, if a child. 101 00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:06.970 Beth Patton: as it was mentioned that if a child exits out of the system 102 00:25:07.130 --> 00:25:11.920 Beth Patton: and they are 18, they are given access till they're age 26. 103 00:25:12.250 --> 00:25:17.100 Beth Patton: In our case, and in many kinship caregivers, cases, whether informal 104 00:25:17.220 --> 00:25:20.879 Beth Patton: adoption or guardianship, and in my case it would be adoption. 105 00:25:21.560 --> 00:25:25.290 Beth Patton: That coverage ends at the at the age of 19 at least. 106 00:25:26.340 --> 00:25:31.059 Beth Patton: As we know, trauma extends well past into young adulthood. 107 00:25:31.180 --> 00:25:36.999 Beth Patton: and a lot of these kids struggle with those things, yet cannot have access after that age. 108 00:25:38.456 --> 00:25:42.480 Beth Patton: Shortly after I got custody of my 3 grandchildren. 109 00:25:42.830 --> 00:25:47.129 Beth Patton: the middle grandchild was experiencing some severe trauma. 110 00:25:48.055 --> 00:25:55.130 Beth Patton: She was 12, and she had several acute hospitalizations which Medicaid paid for. 111 00:25:55.480 --> 00:26:01.919 Beth Patton: She ended up in a residential treatment facility, however, to continue that care. 112 00:26:02.449 --> 00:26:08.829 Beth Patton: It was 9 months, 9 months of hospitalization that there was no way that I would be able to afford 113 00:26:09.355 --> 00:26:10.930 Beth Patton: to help get her care. 114 00:26:11.190 --> 00:26:16.339 Beth Patton: And what ended up happening is, we live in a very small rural area. 115 00:26:16.440 --> 00:26:22.039 Beth Patton: and in order to get her home I was not able to access mental health supports. 116 00:26:22.390 --> 00:26:26.209 Beth Patton: So it took quite a while, but Medicaid partnered 117 00:26:26.430 --> 00:26:33.960 Beth Patton: with the mental health center, and they were able to give her wraparound services that she continues to get 118 00:26:34.140 --> 00:26:36.879 Beth Patton: today, 5 years later. 119 00:26:37.720 --> 00:26:43.299 Beth Patton: One of the issues that we are facing now is that in a few short months she's going to be 18, 120 00:26:43.520 --> 00:26:47.259 Beth Patton: those access to those supports will be ended. 121 00:26:47.570 --> 00:26:55.020 Beth Patton: In addition, I have a 19 year old who will be 19 this summer, and he will lose access to entire medical benefits. 122 00:26:55.920 --> 00:27:01.820 Beth Patton: These benefits are so important for these kids, they are not ready to enter adulthood yet 123 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:06.129 Beth Patton: I'm not sure what to do, and I could add them to my healthcare plan. 124 00:27:06.370 --> 00:27:13.540 Beth Patton: but unfortunately that is not feasible. So as a kinship, caregiver. 125 00:27:13.840 --> 00:27:17.419 Beth Patton: I was actually given Medicaid for 2 years. 126 00:27:17.948 --> 00:27:21.840 Beth Patton: I then went back to work full time when I got the kids stable. 127 00:27:22.290 --> 00:27:24.720 Beth Patton: and that is when I lost Medicaid. 128 00:27:25.410 --> 00:27:31.119 Beth Patton: Like many kinship caregivers, they are outside of the parameters. 129 00:27:31.300 --> 00:27:33.790 Beth Patton: And what happens is, many of us 130 00:27:34.280 --> 00:27:40.639 Beth Patton: just simply don't go get medical care. I do have it through the insurance marketplace. 131 00:27:41.300 --> 00:27:46.680 Beth Patton: It's quite expensive, and there are a lot of deductibles and copays, and 132 00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:53.570 Beth Patton: those things keep us from a family thriving. We really need Medicaid, so 133 00:27:55.060 --> 00:28:13.480 Beth Patton: the the hardest part is looking at the age of grandparents that may be 65, and older, and they have to rely on Medicare. And there is another whole ball of wax that is a big barrier to caregiver Medicaid. 134 00:28:14.110 --> 00:28:16.420 Beth Patton: I can't strongly suggest 135 00:28:17.190 --> 00:28:22.050 Beth Patton: how I never foresaw all the things that we were going to go through, and Medicaid 136 00:28:22.150 --> 00:28:29.020 Beth Patton: has been the ultimate support that has helped me raise these 3 grandchildren to the age they're at. Now. 137 00:28:29.700 --> 00:28:35.210 Beth Patton: I'm really hoping that through my story and through stories of others that you see 138 00:28:35.340 --> 00:28:42.330 Beth Patton: the incredible impact Medicaid can have on kinship, care for children and for generations to come. 139 00:28:43.140 --> 00:28:46.980 Beth Patton: Now I'd like to turn it over to Zoe and talk about 140 00:28:47.370 --> 00:28:49.709 Beth Patton: youth in and aging out of care. 141 00:28:51.160 --> 00:28:55.370 Zoe Jones-Walton: Thank you so much. Hi, everyone. My name is Zoe Jones Watson. 142 00:28:56.310 --> 00:29:07.850 Zoe Jones-Walton: and I am a person with lived experience working with Foster Club. I have done national and State level work here in Texas, and I want to share a little bit about my experience with 143 00:29:08.150 --> 00:29:09.060 Zoe Jones-Walton: Medicaid. 144 00:29:09.730 --> 00:29:18.780 Zoe Jones-Walton: So, coming out of foster care. I have been taking care of myself independently, and, you know, maintaining my health has always been a priority. 145 00:29:18.950 --> 00:29:26.369 Zoe Jones-Walton: Before I aged out of care. My caseworker let me know that I had access to Medicaid up until age 26. 146 00:29:26.530 --> 00:29:38.559 Zoe Jones-Walton: So right after I turned 18, I went to Sam Houston State University for 4 years, and during that time I was able to go to routine checkups with my primary care physician. 147 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:41.730 Zoe Jones-Walton: and go to the doctor. Whenever I got sick. 148 00:29:41.910 --> 00:29:53.009 Zoe Jones-Walton: There was actually a time where I had an abscess in my throat, and I went to the Student Health Center there, and you know they gave me some medications and stuff. 149 00:29:53.200 --> 00:30:14.789 Zoe Jones-Walton: but it didn't work. I was still in pain and still experiencing symptoms. So with my Medicaid insurance, I went to the er and they informed me that if I had not come in, the abscess could have burst, and the toxins from it could have went into my bloodstream potentially poisoning me, and I could have died 150 00:30:14.910 --> 00:30:19.580 Zoe Jones-Walton: so it was literally a matter of life and death at that point. 151 00:30:21.480 --> 00:30:28.049 Zoe Jones-Walton: In situations like that show how important it is for young people to have health insurance. 152 00:30:28.610 --> 00:30:37.750 Zoe Jones-Walton: A lot of young people who come out of the foster care system don't have strong support systems and are oftentimes taking care of themselves. 153 00:30:38.040 --> 00:30:45.910 Zoe Jones-Walton: Medicaid provided me the opportunity to maintain my independence and make sure that I was meeting my own needs. 154 00:30:46.617 --> 00:30:49.890 Zoe Jones-Walton: Another thing to note is that a lot of young people 155 00:30:50.630 --> 00:30:53.070 Zoe Jones-Walton: coming out of the Foster care system? 156 00:30:53.380 --> 00:30:54.480 Zoe Jones-Walton: They move a lot. 157 00:30:54.750 --> 00:31:04.610 Zoe Jones-Walton: including myself, and that was not a barrier to access through Medicaid in Texas. I was able to just update my address every single time I moved. 158 00:31:05.040 --> 00:31:12.220 Zoe Jones-Walton: But you know we we also know that a lot of young people who go through foster care. 159 00:31:12.870 --> 00:31:19.720 Zoe Jones-Walton: They they score higher on the aces, the A, the adverse childhood experiences chart, questionnaire 160 00:31:20.245 --> 00:31:25.260 Zoe Jones-Walton: and that can put them at a higher risk of developing chronic illnesses. 161 00:31:25.949 --> 00:31:34.530 Zoe Jones-Walton: Like. For example, myself, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease of lupus last year, and having Medicaid provided me 162 00:31:34.730 --> 00:31:44.799 Zoe Jones-Walton: the access to stay on top of special doctors that I needed, and making sure I'm going to these doctor's appointments, and 163 00:31:45.460 --> 00:31:46.550 Zoe Jones-Walton: you know 164 00:31:47.050 --> 00:32:00.089 Zoe Jones-Walton: I had that access up until age 26. But Medicaid provided a grace period where I was still able to meet those specialist doctors and follow up on the different medications and things that I needed. 165 00:32:00.310 --> 00:32:03.109 Zoe Jones-Walton: You know we know that our peers, who 166 00:32:03.330 --> 00:32:21.370 Zoe Jones-Walton: unfortunately don't have to go through the Foster care system. They're able to stay on their parents. Medicaid, I mean their parents health insurance until they are 26. And I think that just speaks volumes to how important it is to make sure that young people are supported and making sure that they're 167 00:32:21.620 --> 00:32:23.060 Zoe Jones-Walton: putting their health first.st 168 00:32:23.390 --> 00:32:37.589 Zoe Jones-Walton: Medicaid was a huge factor for me in making sure that I had all the resources I needed. It was the one constant in my world that was constantly changing, and I know a lot of other young people would definitely feel the same. 169 00:32:39.160 --> 00:32:40.140 Zoe Jones-Walton: Thank you. 170 00:32:49.390 --> 00:33:04.370 Tricia Brooks: Sorry trying to get back with that video button. They tend to move around on you every now and then. Oh, I just did. 1st of all, I mean, thank you all for these really heart rendering stories. 171 00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:32.520 Tricia Brooks: We had one comment in the chat about how helpful it is to hear from people who are on Medicaid. I want to turn to some questions, and particularly pull out some themes that I heard you all talking about, and and see if there's more you'd like to say. Here we heard things about cost sharing, and the cost of care, and that sort of thing. 172 00:33:32.860 --> 00:33:42.449 Tricia Brooks: What would you do without Medicaid, would you? Do you think you'd be able to afford other kinds of insurance 173 00:33:42.720 --> 00:33:50.719 Tricia Brooks: just? And what has it meant for your family or your economic stability? 174 00:33:52.350 --> 00:33:55.029 Beth Patton: And anyone can go. Go ahead, Beth. 175 00:33:55.030 --> 00:34:03.639 Beth Patton: I can answer that because I'm really that's what I struggled with. About 3 months ago, when my grandchildren are covered until they're 19. 176 00:34:04.220 --> 00:34:17.490 Beth Patton: However, I did lose Medicaid and I in my search. I went back to work full time, and then my insurance through them is just for myself, is close to $600 a month. 177 00:34:18.275 --> 00:34:25.980 Beth Patton: And so I went to the marketplace for about half that the coverage isn't that good? 178 00:34:26.139 --> 00:34:37.539 Beth Patton: But in adding kids to that there is, there's no economic way that I could afford it. I mean, it would take my entire paycheck. We're talking about 3 kids onto one, you know. 179 00:34:37.739 --> 00:34:43.189 Beth Patton: under one parent's plan and with kinship a lot of times the grandparents are. 180 00:34:43.469 --> 00:34:51.390 Beth Patton: I'm not 65 yet, but there are a lot of grandparents that are assuming the role of a parent 181 00:34:51.530 --> 00:34:57.630 Beth Patton: and limiting their insurance abilities. They can't simply just add kids to Medicare. 182 00:34:57.740 --> 00:35:00.281 Beth Patton: Actually, you can't do that 183 00:35:01.220 --> 00:35:03.400 Beth Patton: And so it just puts. 184 00:35:03.740 --> 00:35:20.499 Beth Patton: I could honestly say that I would not be able to afford even my rent. If I had to pay back anything that Medicaid is covered for my kiddos. It is just that important, and it's not something you foresee happening. It just kind of happened. 185 00:35:20.610 --> 00:35:26.230 Beth Patton: And it keeps happening. Every developmental level. There's a new. There's a new thing. So 186 00:35:27.050 --> 00:35:31.389 Beth Patton: I'm just just very thankful for that stability because it does give us that. 187 00:35:33.717 --> 00:35:37.170 Tricia Brooks: Zoe, I think you were. Gonna jump in here on this question. 188 00:35:38.430 --> 00:35:43.410 Tricia Brooks: Maybe up Zoe. Are you with us? She may 189 00:35:43.830 --> 00:35:48.809 Tricia Brooks: be frozen, or at least she looks frozen to me unless I'm frozen. 190 00:35:49.390 --> 00:36:16.110 Tricia Brooks: But I see Zach nodding his head. So I maybe I'm not okay, Christina. Anything you want to add, I know you talked a lot about being able to afford the drugs, you know, both for yourself, with your diabetes as well as for your son, anything more you'd like to say about how it's enabled you to maintain economic stability for your family. 191 00:36:16.920 --> 00:36:45.239 Christina Simmons: Yes, it has. Medicaid has definitely been a stability for my family, and I just by, you know, paying for the drug paying for the medications each month, you know, being able to go to. I go to Walgreens, you know, being able to go to Walgreens and go through. I usually go through the drive through and get the medication. And it has that 0 balance, you know. That's just another worry off of my mind. Because I you know it's like, I say, we have food, we have rent. 192 00:36:45.240 --> 00:37:09.550 Christina Simmons: we have gas, we have clothing, we have, you know, everything that we're trying to sustain these kiddos with. And so Medicaid, not having to pay that large cost, does help us out economically to be able to pay other bills and then also provide health care coverage, and maintain our children's health as well as my health, to be able to take care of these kiddos. 193 00:37:09.580 --> 00:37:11.709 Christina Simmons: So that's most definitely correct. 194 00:37:14.490 --> 00:37:17.869 Tricia Brooks: And Zoe, I just want to check in. Are you with us? Can you hear us? 195 00:37:20.760 --> 00:37:22.629 Tricia Brooks: Maybe you don't. Okay? 196 00:37:23.110 --> 00:37:51.670 Tricia Brooks: Well, another thing that we hear. And, boy, we hear this a lot in Medicaid, as I showed on one of the slides that Medicaid is the largest funder of substance. Use services treatment as well as mental health services. And as Zach started with his comments, most kids in foster care and the child welfare system 197 00:37:51.670 --> 00:37:56.300 Tricia Brooks: have experienced significant trauma 198 00:37:56.300 --> 00:38:25.689 Tricia Brooks: and mental health services are really important to them, and I think the same is true for our foster youth, who are aging out of care, and don't have a family to turn back to, so I would invite any of you to talk a little bit more about the impact. Medicaid has in terms of providing those mental health services either to you or to your kiddos. 199 00:38:28.200 --> 00:38:32.569 Beth Patton: I could attest to that when when I'm the Medicaid. 200 00:38:33.010 --> 00:38:36.290 Beth Patton: provided the supports in order for my granddaughter to come home. 201 00:38:36.922 --> 00:38:57.869 Beth Patton: They provided 5 different services. They provided parent support. They provided attendant care. They provided therapy medication services and targeted case management, and all of those, almost all of those like, I said, we have utilized for the past 5 years. I wouldn't even want to add up how much that costs. 202 00:38:59.730 --> 00:39:02.379 Beth Patton: It's provided under a medicaid waiver 203 00:39:02.889 --> 00:39:21.319 Beth Patton: in addition to the other children having services as well through mental health. And we live in a rural area. So it's not like we have that big of a choice of we can just pick who we want to go to. I mean, it's very limited here in southeast Kansas, and just having those supports. 204 00:39:22.230 --> 00:39:34.230 Beth Patton: The reason I fought so hard to get them was because I could not function and work when she came home and be able to take care of her needs and the other 2. So it really was, you know. 205 00:39:35.130 --> 00:39:35.850 Beth Patton: Just 206 00:39:36.830 --> 00:39:48.870 Beth Patton: it had to happen had to happen. We had to have those services. So I'm just so so grateful that those services continued. They're making leaps and bounds, and we'll continue to do so as long as I 207 00:39:49.100 --> 00:39:50.540 Beth Patton: have access to Medicaid. 208 00:39:54.530 --> 00:39:56.760 Tricia Brooks: Christina, you want to jump in here. 209 00:39:56.980 --> 00:40:17.839 Christina Simmons: Yes, I was just shaking my head because I definitely can attest to exactly what Miss Beth is saying, because during during that time to that. My son was diagnosed with autism just going to each doctor, you know, just trying to find the diagnosis or what was going on with him, was costly. 210 00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:42.269 Christina Simmons: you know. It's a costly process. And then, after after all that, after he has graduated and we've got him in the program here where he'll be going to day services. We have respite, care that will be start coming in, and also transportation that will pick him up, and all that is is Medicaid, you know. Services. Transportation will pick him up and bring him home, and then that frees me up to go to work 211 00:40:42.270 --> 00:40:52.189 Christina Simmons: and take care of everybody and take care of the household, you know, and stuff, you know, being single. And so I mean you know it. It, you know Medicaid is a staple, as I've said. 212 00:40:52.200 --> 00:40:55.389 Christina Simmons: for our family, and meant for mental health. 213 00:40:56.010 --> 00:40:59.430 Tricia Brooks: Thanks, Christina Zoe, are you back with us, Zoe? 214 00:40:59.430 --> 00:41:00.190 Zoe Jones-Walton: I'm bad. 215 00:41:00.310 --> 00:41:25.199 Tricia Brooks: Power and connectivity problems. We have the Angel Pettit from Petite, sorry from the Foster Club, as well, ready to pinch hit here, so we're happy to have Angel join as well, Zoe. We had turned from the economics, you know, and the impact of economic security brought about by Medicaid. We're talking now more about mental health 216 00:41:25.200 --> 00:41:37.370 Tricia Brooks: needs, and between you and Angel, could one of you talk a little more about what you hear from former foster youth, about their mental health needs. 217 00:41:39.040 --> 00:42:07.499 Zoe Jones-Walton: Yeah, I can definitely jump in here, Angel, you can feel free to add in wherever you see fit. But like I had mentioned earlier. We know that a lot of young people who experience foster care score higher on the adverse childhood experiences chart or questionnaire, and that puts them at a higher rate to develop mental health issues and illnesses. So it's very critical 218 00:42:07.500 --> 00:42:11.960 Zoe Jones-Walton: that we make sure young people have access to 219 00:42:11.960 --> 00:42:27.919 Zoe Jones-Walton: support those mental health challenges that they may be going through, and we know that a lot of young people period are just experiencing trauma all the way around. And you know, having Medicaid or having health insurance is definitely 220 00:42:28.110 --> 00:42:34.430 Zoe Jones-Walton: a resource that you know, we should definitely make sure that we still have access to. 221 00:42:36.970 --> 00:43:06.190 Angel Petite, FosterClub (she/hers): Thanks, Zoe, and thanks, Tricia, I will add in here, I think, what we hear from young people across the country who are still in foster care and transitioning from Foster. Care is like Zoe said, how critical it is, and also how critical it is during the transition from foster care sometimes being in foster care. The focus can be around kind of survival and getting those really basic basic things covered. And it's only during the transition that young people have some space to 222 00:43:06.190 --> 00:43:27.850 Angel Petite, FosterClub (she/hers): unpack some of the experiences and traumas that they may have gone through and Medicaid providing mental health support has been a really critical resource that young people have often tapped into, particularly during that transition period. One other piece that I'll add, that's in line with what Christina and Beth raised is 223 00:43:27.850 --> 00:43:55.800 Angel Petite, FosterClub (she/hers): how important those services are along the spectrum. And so when we look at as Zach talked about services that can be offered to families, to parents and to children before entry into foster care. That can be an absolutely critical role to actually prevent an unnecessary entry into foster care, and is really especially needed when. 224 00:43:55.960 --> 00:44:23.500 Angel Petite, FosterClub (she/hers): as Christina and Beth shared when young people are experiencing additional challenges, Medicaid can provide some of those supports that the child welfare system itself isn't equipped to provide. And so we really need to make sure that children and young people are supported fully, and Medicaid is a large piece of that puzzle that can help address the the needs and the recommendations that young people have raised to us. 225 00:44:24.830 --> 00:44:49.799 Tricia Brooks: And I want to lift up a point. You made Angel about trying to prevent children being removed from their homes, and it often occurs when the family is undergoing stress, which could be from substance use, it could be from mental health, domestic violence. Other issues in the household. So Medicaid expansion for adults, because we know 226 00:44:49.800 --> 00:45:10.659 Tricia Brooks: that parent eligibility for Medicaid is generally very low. At least the Medicaid expansion can provide that help for families, so that perhaps they can get the services they need and avoid their children being placed in foster care, which is only going to add more trauma to the kids. 227 00:45:11.017 --> 00:45:13.960 Tricia Brooks: Zack anything you want to add on that point. 228 00:45:14.250 --> 00:45:18.859 Zach Laris: I think, just to underscore what you and everyone else are saying here, Tricia 229 00:45:18.900 --> 00:45:44.179 Zach Laris: children exist in families. And so what's so critical about Medicaid. And what we're hearing here is, it's not just about the role of the program for any one individual. It's the comprehensive effect that Medicaid has in supporting the child and parents and caregivers together. That's what really helps the healing happen. That's what helps support thriving relationships. And that's what lets families like. We're hearing from all of our panelists today. 230 00:45:44.180 --> 00:45:57.180 Zach Laris: Turn away from the monthly stress of the budget. And am I going to be able to come in? You know, a few dollars ahead this month, or a few dollars behind and focus on what really matters most. 231 00:46:00.470 --> 00:46:14.480 Tricia Brooks: Oh, another theme, I heard is permanency, the kind of lasting access to health care that Christina you talked about with your son, and how wonderfully he is doing. 232 00:46:14.770 --> 00:46:31.679 Tricia Brooks: because he got the services that he needed, and that will help him be, you know, move into a permanent situation where he is more productive and independent, and I think independence is Zoe, and Angel 233 00:46:31.680 --> 00:46:52.930 Tricia Brooks: really really means a lot, as we are transitioning foster youth when they're aging out of the foster care system into adulthood. So I don't know. Do you want to say a little more, at least, about the importance of that transition and access to health care. 234 00:46:58.815 --> 00:47:01.065 Zoe Jones-Walton: Yeah, I can jump in here. 235 00:47:01.580 --> 00:47:09.609 Zoe Jones-Walton: you know, like I had mentioned earlier a lot of young people who are coming out of the foster care system. They're transitioning into adulthood. 236 00:47:09.750 --> 00:47:17.810 Zoe Jones-Walton: They don't have strong support systems. They're really figuring out a lot of things by themselves. And 237 00:47:18.130 --> 00:47:44.879 Zoe Jones-Walton: Medicaid provided such a foundation, and it was a strong constant that I really didn't have to worry too much about. It was easy to apply and renew and keep up with. All you got to do in Texas is call 211, and there's people that can pull up your case easy. Right there. You can change your address, because we know a lot of young people tend to, you know, move around a lot like I did, and 238 00:47:44.980 --> 00:48:03.069 Zoe Jones-Walton: Medicaid provided that one strong foundation that I was able to constantly depend on, and it provided that permanency that I needed when a lot of things were kind of questionable. So I know a lot of young people can definitely attest to that. 239 00:48:09.850 --> 00:48:13.440 Tricia Brooks: One of the things, Betha, did you want to jump in here? 240 00:48:14.160 --> 00:48:15.045 Tricia Brooks: Okay, 241 00:48:16.110 --> 00:48:17.549 Tricia Brooks: So we 242 00:48:18.410 --> 00:48:30.139 Tricia Brooks: And I remember when we started planning this webinar and what to call it. You know, when we talk about the child welfare system, I think people automatically go to foster 243 00:48:30.160 --> 00:48:49.290 Tricia Brooks: care right? They go to kids in foster care. But, as Angel mentioned, prior to entry into Foster care, trying to avoid removal. We we heard Christina talk about the importance of maternal health. 244 00:48:49.664 --> 00:49:09.495 Tricia Brooks: You know it is much broader. So let's get a better picture of that. And, Beth, I want to start with you because there have been a number of questions about kinship, and I have to admit I'm not the expert here. So between you and Zach, please help us understand. We have 245 00:49:09.910 --> 00:49:28.229 Tricia Brooks: kinship arrangements. We have adoptive arrangements, and we have foster homes. What are the differences between those? And how does kinship in particular differ from foster care, or from adoptive care. 246 00:49:31.140 --> 00:49:35.045 Beth Patton: Zach, do you wanna try? You wanna try unraveling that first? st 247 00:49:35.400 --> 00:49:43.789 Beth Patton: I'm happy to. I mean, maybe if it helps, I can start with some of the other topics, and I would love to turn to you to talk in particular about kinship. 248 00:49:43.900 --> 00:50:13.210 Zach Laris: But I think you know, thinking about all of these different categories. Right? I mean, all of this comes down to. We've had a child removed from their family of origin. Right? So when you think about children who've come into the child welfare system, you've had that intervention to remove a child to say right now, the safest thing that we need to do is place the child elsewhere. So the gold standard is with relatives or with another adult with whom that child has a meaningful relationship, and that's in kinship care. 249 00:50:13.210 --> 00:50:35.599 Zach Laris: And as we've seen in the chat here, there's a few folks asking some sophisticated questions about formal versus informal kinship care some of these kinds of things. So there's a lot of differentiations there. But suffice to say a lot of what we're talking about here would be formal kinship care. So you know, placement through the State or local child Welfare Agency with a relative like a grandparent like Beth. 250 00:50:35.940 --> 00:51:04.799 Zach Laris: What would be different? There is, you know, sometimes, if that's not available, then the next best thing is still family. So it would be a non-relative foster family. And then, when we think about adoption and guardianship, those are more terms related to permanency pathways, so guardianship oftentimes is the pathway that caregivers might avail themselves of. If, for example, say, if you have a grandparent who has their own child, who is struggling with a substance, use disorder. 251 00:51:04.800 --> 00:51:07.150 Zach Laris: and the grandparent is raising their grandchild. 252 00:51:07.150 --> 00:51:32.250 Zach Laris: They may plan to be the primary caregiver for that child, but want to protect the parents, legal connection to their grandchild too, and so they may do a guardianship arrangement where the parent retains their parental rights. But that grandparent is the guardian, and then adoption is really focused when it's outside of that. Sometimes you may have kin caregivers who adopt a child, but oftentimes it's to a whole new forever family. 253 00:51:32.360 --> 00:51:53.210 Zach Laris: And so through Medicaid law and through child welfare law we have access to Medicaid for children with special needs who are adopted out of Medicaid adopted out of foster care, because we know there's usually very elevated needs. And so sometimes, you know, families, even if they have private coverage, adopting a child that helps provide that access. Beth, what would you add. 254 00:51:54.482 --> 00:51:58.690 Beth Patton: There's 2 different. I would have to say there's 2 different 255 00:51:59.421 --> 00:52:11.069 Beth Patton: kinship placements sometimes whenever they are in the care of the state, and then they are placed with kin. Typically Medicaid is going to follow that kiddo. 256 00:52:11.310 --> 00:52:24.990 Beth Patton: What I hear the most on in support support groups and things like that are those kinship who see a need. They see their their adult child struggling, and they offer to take those children and raise them. 257 00:52:25.230 --> 00:52:47.109 Beth Patton: Those are the types of situations in which they're still providing the same level of access to everything, housing, food, all those things. But they aren't getting the benefit of Medicaid, and those are the people that do have to find alternatives to health insurance unless they fall under the guidelines, which is very hard to do. 258 00:52:48.560 --> 00:53:02.460 Beth Patton: unless you have a lot of children, and so they don't have that access to Medicaid. And I think that that is the the key to this is being able to any kid that is placed outside of their their biological home. 259 00:53:03.880 --> 00:53:13.409 Beth Patton: providing stability for that child, whether they are in state custody or or with a kinship placement that that Medicaid should be provided because they're 260 00:53:13.580 --> 00:53:17.079 Beth Patton: still going to struggle with the same kinds of things. 261 00:53:17.800 --> 00:53:20.870 Beth Patton: but just placing them in a home doesn't mean that there's 262 00:53:21.240 --> 00:53:34.061 Beth Patton: everything's going to be all nice and pretty, and things are going to work out. So I just think that there's like he said. There are just very varying degrees of kinship placement. 263 00:53:34.730 --> 00:53:36.420 Beth Patton: and it needs to be uniform. 264 00:53:37.910 --> 00:53:47.170 Tricia Brooks: And like a lot of things in Medicaid, very complicated. Which is another reason why, you know, when we talk about Medicaid, and we talk about 265 00:53:47.500 --> 00:54:13.949 Tricia Brooks: trimming here or cutting here. It's like a balloon, and you press the balloon in one place, and it's going to blow up in another place, and so you never know what the impact would be. One of the questions that came up is that you know there are stories out there of parents who are dealing with children who have extremely 266 00:54:13.950 --> 00:54:27.060 Tricia Brooks: significant behavioral or mental health issues, and the parent is simply not able to accommodate that. And sometimes they 267 00:54:27.940 --> 00:54:53.489 Tricia Brooks: automatically will give up or not automatically. I shouldn't say that that's a bad choice of words, but they will struggle with the decision, but they will end up giving up custody of their children in order for their children to receive care. Zach, do you hear much about that these days? Does it depend on the state someone's in as to whether that might be happening more. 268 00:54:53.900 --> 00:55:22.590 Zach Laris: It varies State by State. We have a relatively new, just from last, from January, report from the Us. Department of Health and Human services Assistant Secretary for planning and evaluation. Looking at this exact issue, so trying to understand what's the percentage of kids entering care particularly to access mental health services or other health needs nationally. That seems to be as high as potentially 5%, and then varies state by state. 269 00:55:22.590 --> 00:55:43.999 Zach Laris: And I think what it points to is the need to continue to provide comprehensive access to children and families, especially those who have experienced trauma who have experienced adversity, or who have major unmet needs through developmental disability or other diagnoses like that, because it's just so critical to be able to access those services. 270 00:55:48.760 --> 00:55:54.591 Tricia Brooks: We have a a question. I think I want to point to Christina and Beth. 271 00:55:55.210 --> 00:56:08.079 Tricia Brooks: and that is one of the policies that is being discussed at the Federal level is imposing work requirements on adults in Medicaid. 272 00:56:08.080 --> 00:56:30.450 Tricia Brooks: Christina and Beth. I think you both talked a bit about the challenges of parenting and working, you know, while you have children who have extensive needs. If work requirements had been placed on you, what kind of choices would have you been forced to make at that time. 273 00:56:33.390 --> 00:56:35.699 Christina Simmons: I can go ahead and jump in here, Miss Tricia. 274 00:56:36.010 --> 00:56:40.534 Christina Simmons: if work requirements had been placed on myself. 275 00:56:41.300 --> 00:56:48.600 Christina Simmons: With all the extensive testing and everything that we had to go through with my son. We 276 00:56:48.600 --> 00:57:12.489 Christina Simmons: we would, I guess we wouldn't have qualified, you know, going through all these different doctors and and having I mean, no one understood, and he would. Harlan, you know he can't talk. My son's name's Harlan, so he doesn't talk. I want to refer to him as I keep saying, my son, but I call him Harlan, so he doesn't talk. He's nonverbal. And so, being able to understand him. 277 00:57:12.680 --> 00:57:36.409 Christina Simmons: you know. I don't think you can't just put that off on somebody. You know. You have to be there as the parent to see what's going on with him. And so if I would have had to be required to. Okay, you have to have 30 h, you know. Whatever type of requirement the work work schedule would have would have had to be then it would have been a that was another challenge that we wouldn't wouldn't have been able to meet 278 00:57:37.070 --> 00:57:39.250 Christina Simmons: during that time of caring for Harlan. 279 00:57:41.510 --> 00:57:46.976 Beth Patton: And I would have to say, well, my family would be pretty much 280 00:57:48.170 --> 00:57:51.619 Beth Patton: I don't want to say the word screwed, but basically, that is what would happen. 281 00:57:51.620 --> 00:57:52.130 Tricia Brooks: But. 282 00:57:52.546 --> 00:57:55.460 Beth Patton: Because when my granddaughter came home from 283 00:57:55.940 --> 00:58:07.309 Beth Patton: hospital I was pretty much told that I needed to watch. Be be there and protect her. 284 00:58:07.746 --> 00:58:13.880 Beth Patton: But I didn't have any mental health supports to help me with that. So it was either quit my job 285 00:58:14.340 --> 00:58:16.270 Beth Patton: and take on all 3 kids 286 00:58:16.620 --> 00:58:32.310 Beth Patton: or leave her in the psychiatric hospital. I mean, that's what it came down to. So yeah, we would really be in a pickle. I would also have to say that I have looked at the budget and gone. Okay, you know, I could do this for a living. 287 00:58:32.500 --> 00:58:35.590 Beth Patton: But this is what's gonna cut me out of. I mean, like. 288 00:58:35.820 --> 00:58:43.850 Beth Patton: like, where do you juggle that? And I'm not that kind of a person I want to work. I want to be productive. I want to be able to provide, though, for my family 289 00:58:44.130 --> 00:58:47.690 Beth Patton: and have access to good medical care. So 290 00:58:47.930 --> 00:58:50.360 Beth Patton: you know it just it really would throw 291 00:58:51.250 --> 00:58:52.730 Beth Patton: a wrench in the whole thing. 292 00:58:54.510 --> 00:59:07.619 Tricia Brooks: Okay, we only have a minute left. So I just want to turn to each of you and ask you, what is the one thing you want our audience to remember about. Why Medicaid matters to you and your family. 293 00:59:09.760 --> 00:59:11.370 Tricia Brooks: Zoe, you want to go first.st 294 00:59:16.430 --> 00:59:18.479 Zoe Jones-Walton: Yes. One thing. 295 00:59:18.790 --> 00:59:19.810 Zoe Jones-Walton: Oh, can you hear me? 296 00:59:20.280 --> 00:59:21.060 Tricia Brooks: Go ahead. 297 00:59:21.920 --> 00:59:22.830 Tricia Brooks: Oh, you're good! 298 00:59:22.830 --> 00:59:36.120 Zoe Jones-Walton: One thing I would say is important to lift up about Medicaid is, you know, it's a really strong foundational piece for a lot of young people who 299 00:59:36.240 --> 00:59:42.899 Zoe Jones-Walton: have a lot of constant change going on, and it is the matter of life and death sometimes for young people. 300 00:59:44.840 --> 00:59:45.800 Tricia Brooks: Christina. 301 00:59:46.280 --> 00:59:48.872 Christina Simmons: And I would I would jump in and say 302 00:59:49.860 --> 00:59:57.100 Christina Simmons: as far as being a parent and raising multiple children, Medicaid is a staple and a stabilizer 303 00:59:57.600 --> 00:59:58.980 Christina Simmons: for our family. 304 01:00:01.410 --> 01:00:02.130 Tricia Brooks: Beth. 305 01:00:02.610 --> 01:00:08.120 Beth Patton: I would have to say that we wouldn't be where we are today. My 2 oldest wouldn't have just graduated. 306 01:00:09.940 --> 01:00:15.080 Beth Patton: I I just I I wouldn't have them, I mean I wouldn't be able to do it without it. To be honest. 307 01:00:16.090 --> 01:00:18.100 Tricia Brooks: Zach, you want a final word here. 308 01:00:18.510 --> 01:00:47.120 Zach Laris: I'll turn it on its head, since our panel did such a good job talking about. Why, it matters for them and their families, I'll say why you matter the audience here for the role of Medicaid and families in the child welfare system. And that is because your role educating policymakers, educating partners is absolutely essential to be able to talk about why this program is important, so that everybody understands what's at stake. And we look forward to being in touch with all of you about how to continue to do that, and thank you for everything that you do. 309 01:00:48.650 --> 01:01:09.929 Tricia Brooks: And thank you all for attending. Give a virtual round of applause to our speakers, who are just, wonderful hearing the lived experiences. Thank you so much for being willing to share your personal story. And thank you, Zach, for all the work you did to bring this to bear today and to our handy dandy behind the scenes. Tech 310 01:01:10.040 --> 01:01:23.550 Tricia Brooks: Coordinator, Nancy. So thank you all for joining us. The recording will be sent out. A link will be sent out to all registrants, so you can go back and look at the slides. Thank you so much. Have a good day.