Quality of Care Measures in Foster Care
The presentation was developed to report on five behavioral health quality of care measures for children in foster care and children in Medi-Cal. The measures come from the CMS Children Core Set Measures and from Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). HEDIS is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
In 2015, Senate Bill Number 484 was chaptered (Chapter 540), which included the requirement to report on the behavioral health measures for children in foster care in group homes. The following measures are included in the presentation:
- Follow-Up Care for Children Prescribed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Medication includes an initiation phase and a continuation phase
- Follow-Up After Hospitalization for Mental Illness includes a 7 day and a 30 day follow up
- Use of First-Line Psychosocial Care for Children and Adolescents on Antipsychotics
- Use of Multiple Concurrent Antipsychotics in Children and Adolescents
- Metabolic Monitoring for Children and Adolescents on Antipsychotics
The original presentation released in 2016 does not include stratifications by group homes. The presentation released in January 2018 includes stratification by group homes.
- Quality of Care in Medi-Cal: Understanding HEDIS for Children in Foster Care. July 2025 (PDF)
- Quality of Care in Medi-Cal: Understanding HEDIS for Children in Foster Care. December 2024 (PDF)
- Quality of Care in Medi-Cal: Understanding HEDIS for Children in Foster Care. November 2023 (PDF)
- Quality of Care in Medi-Cal: Understanding HEDIS for Children in Foster Care, April 2021 (PDF)
- Quality of Care in Medi-Cal: Understanding HEDIS for Children in Foster Care, April 2020 (PDF)
- Quality of Care in Medi-Cal: Understanding HEDIS for children in Foster Care, April 2019 (PDF)
- Quality of Care in Medi-Cal: Understanding HEDIS for Children in Foster Care, January 2018 (PDF)
- Quality of Care in Medi-Cal: Understanding HEDIS for children in Foster Care, March 2016 (PDF)
For more information on quality of care measures: