For the past 10 years, Coordinated Care has partnered with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to ensure that children and youth in foster care have access to reliable health care.
This week, Coordinated Care commemorated the partnership and impact the Apple Health Core Connections program has had on more than 62,400 children and youth in foster care, during a celebration in Puyallup. Gov. Bob Ferguson was in attendance and spoke about the positive impact Coordinated Care has had on Washingtonians.
“We have the same mission and recognition that we can’t do this alone,” said DCYF Secretary Tana Senn during the event. “We are integrated in our work.”
As part of their celebration, Coordinated Care awarded Secretary Senn with their Public Service and Leadership Award.
“Tana is widely recognized and respected by foster care and child advocacy groups across the state because she leads with both policy expertise and genuine compassion,” said Coordinated Care CEO Beth Johnson. “In this role [as DCYF Secretary] she continues to lead with clarity, courage, and a deep belief in what is possible when systems work together on behalf of young people and families.”
During her time in the legislature, Secretary Senn worked closely with Coordinated Care and others to advance policies that removed barriers and expanded access to health care, including House Bill 2530 and House Bill 1188. The bills extended Apple Health Core coverage for foster children up to one year after reunification and expanded access to development disability services.
“She used her platform to advance meaningful lasting change, always keeping the needs of children and families at the center, her leadership is most clearly reflected in the policies she championed,” Johnson said. “These are not just policy wins they are tangible life-changing improvements.”
Coordinated Care also awarded DCYF’s Integrated Health Services Administrator Trishia Benshoof with their State Agency Award.
“What sets Trishia apart is her unwavering focus on how policies, procedures, and systems impact individual youth and families,” said Johnson.
Benshoof has worked in child welfare for over two decades. She was instrumental in helping remove barriers so that Apple Health Core members had equitable access to COVID vaccines and telehealth services during critical times. This led to an increase in vaccination rates among foster youth compared to their peers.
“That is a real measurable impact and more importantly it reflects her commitment to ensuring that the youth being served are not left behind,” Johnson added.
Over the past 10 years, Coordinate Care has seen more foster youth receiving preventative care, higher immunization rates, and fewer emergency room visits. Coordinated Care has also helped support caregivers and the whole family by providing training, regular communication, and breaking down barriers to access to care.
This month, Coordinated Care released their 10-year report on the Apple Health Core Connections program, reflecting on a decade of serving Washington's children, youth, and young adults in the child welfare system.
