Jacob’s Law Ensures Timely Access to Health Services for Foster Children
Becky Schmidgall, Kinship Family Facilitator
In September, Seeds Community Center (SCC) hosted a training for Tucson foster and kinship families to educate them about Jacob’s Law. The training, facilitated by Anika Robinson from ASA Now, provided insight into how Jacob’s Law can support them in advocating for the health and well-being of the children in their care.
What is Jacob’s Law?
In 2016, Arizona passed Jacob’s Law (HB 2442), which was designed to ensure that children in foster care and those adopted from foster care have access to timely medical and behavioral health services. Recognizing that these children may face unique challenges, Jacob’s Law creates clear timelines for responding to healthcare needs, prioritizing the well-being of Arizona children.
The law establishes the following timelines:
72 hours: Rapid response to a health need (with urgent needs requiring a response within 2 hours)
7 days: Evaluation of the child’s health needs (with urgent needs requiring evaluation within 24 hours)
21 days: Behavioral health appointments (with appointments scheduled sooner if needed based on the child’s situation)
Empowering Caregivers Through Education
Robinson, the co-founder and president of ASA Now, spoke about the importance of Jacob’s Law and how caregivers can use it to advocate for the children in their care. One of the main points Robinson emphasized was how caregivers can feel empowered to act when they know the timelines and processes in place through Jacob’s Law. By understanding how the system should respond, families are better prepared to advocate for immediate and appropriate care, ensuring that children’s physical and emotional needs are met without unnecessary delays.
Why Jacob’s Law Matters
By providing families with the tools and knowledge to advocate for timely care, Jacob’s Law fosters a more compassionate and efficient system for children in foster care. Jacob’s Law ensures that no child has to wait for care when they need it most, creating a system that is responsive and attentive to their health and well-being.
For families providing foster or kinship care, Jacob’s Law provides a structure for timely evaluations and treatments for a child’s health concerns. It is a valuable tool that helps caregivers ensure children receive the necessary services to thrive, both physically and emotionally.
Moving Forward
SCC is so grateful to Anika and Angela from ASA Now for their time traveling to Tucson to deliver this important information to our kinship families. We look forward to future partnerships with this fellow nonprofit organization.
In addition to educating Arizona families about Jacob’s Law, ASA Now also provides additional low-cost or free virtual trainings to anyone interested. Based in Mesa, AZ, ASA Now has various programs and services available to all Arizona foster families.
To learn more about Jacob’s Law and the work of ASA Now, please visit their website.
