Children in Out-of-home Placement

This chapter introduces and develops the advanced practice registered nurse's (APRN) role in caring for children who are at risk for, or already live in, out-of-home placements. One of the most common reasons for out-of-home placements is court involvement due to childhood abuse and neglect, also referred to as maltreatment. The chapter explains the potential complex physical, developmental, and mental healthcare needs of the children living in an out-of-home placement. Care of the foster child by a nurse practitioner should be guided by the American Academy of Pediatrics statement on the delivery of healthcare services to children in the foster care system. Intensive family preservation services (IFPS) is known by many names, including family-based services and family preservation, but IFPS is the most current nomenclature used in the literature.