Youth with a history of foster care have less access to oral health care
According to estimates from the Children s Bureau, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 673,000 children in or entering foster care in the United States in 2019.
Data from the Minnesota Department of Human Services say that approximately 15,300 children experienced foster care in 2019. Minnesotan children of color were overrepresented compared to the general population, with Native American children 18 times more likely and Black children three times more likely to experience foster care than white children.
Most children in the foster care system have medical and dental coverage through Medicaid. However, despite mandatory state dental coverage, children in foster care face significant barriers to accessing oral health care. One of the largest obstacles is finding a dental provider who takes Medicaid or the Children s Health Insurance Program.