The Kankakee County Health Department provides nurse case management services to Youth placed in the care/custody of the IL. Dept. of Children and Family Services/DCFS in Kankakee county.  HealthWorks is a collaborative effort between the DCFS, the IL. Dept. of Healthcare Family Services/HFS, and the HFS Medicaid managed care plan YouthCare.

HealthWorks of Illinois in Kankakee County:

• Assures all Youth in Care are linked to a primary care physician/PCP.
• Provided medical case management to children under6 years of age and pregnant Youth in Care.
• Maintains health information for all Youth in Care living in Kankakee county.
• Is a resource for foster parents to ensure all Youth in Care are linked to needed healthcare and area community resources.

What new foster parents need to know:

• Youth who are taken into DCFS custodyare automatically enrolled into Medicaid’s managed plan, YouthCare.
• The DCFS caseworker must take the child for an initial health screening within 24 hoursof the Youth being taken into DCFS custody and prior to placementwith a foster parent.
• The foster parent must schedule a comprehensive health exam to be completed within 21 daysof the court’s ruling for DCFS temporary custody.
• Foster parents are to keep copies of all medical records on fie for every Youth in Care.Children are required to have routine well child exams at the following ages: 1-2-4-6-9-12-15-24 months of age and annually for children over age 2 years.
• Preventative dental exams and services are required at age 2 years then every 6 months.
• Vision and hearing screenings are required for children 3 years of age then annually to age 6 years then according to IL school code.
• Immunizations are very important and are required to be up-to-date for all Youth in Care, including annual flu shots for babies 6 months of age and older.

Please contact the HealthWorks of Illinois program at the Kankakee County Health Department for any questions.

HealthWorks of Kankakee County
Phone: (815) 802-9400
Fax: (815) 802-9321