A State Multi-Sector Framework for Supporting Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs

The 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health found that 19 percent of children under the age of 17 are “children and youth with special health needs.” These children and their families require a broad set of supports to meet their respective health, social, educational, and other needs. This Child Trends report identifies a framework to support these families’ navigation across different support systems to coordinate and be eligible for resources provided under the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant (Title V), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Supplemental Security Income programs.