Janice Milligan once had to sell her car to pay for a wheelchair for her adopted daughter, who had spina bifida. She had just moved to California and didn’t know that she potentially could qualify for California Children’s Services (CCS) and aid from the state’s system of regional centers for people with disabilities. That was two decades ago. Today, Milligan is director of strategy and development at Health Net of California.
Her role as mom and caregiver for a child with special health care needs automatically qualified her as chauffeur, case manager, care coordinator and advocate. Learn more about one mother’s experience during National Family Caregivers Month.
Kris Calvin, PhD, American Academy of Pediatrics: California District
What do pediatricians really want and need to best care for their young patients with special health care needs? AAP-CA’s Kris Calvin is investigating.
As manager of Help Me Grow Orange County, Rebecca Hernandez has for years helped connect families to health professionals and support services when they have concerns about their children’s health and development.
California’s child population is shrinking, but until now, it has been challenging to understand the complexity of how that demographic shift is playing out in the state’s 58 counties.
Earlier this year, Advocacy Network members responded to an online survey about how to improve care coordination for children with special health care needs and their families. Most respondents identified California’s fragmented system of care as the main barrier to effective care coordination.
