Occupational Therapy and Foster Care: Strengthening Development at First Contact

In this episode of AOTA's Everyday Evidence Podcast, we explore what happens when occupational therapy is included in comprehensive health assessments for children entering foster care and why that moment may be one of the most important opportunities for developmental support.  Joining us are Kristine Fortin, MD, MPH, Anne-Ashley Field, OTR/L, BCP, and Judith Dawson, RN, BSN, from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Fostering Health Program. Their study, "Occupational Therapists Enhance Comprehensive Health Assessments for Children in Foster Care", examines how adding occupational therapy to multidisciplinary evaluations impacts developmental detection, referrals, and caregiver education.   Children in foster care face high rates of developmental delay, placement instability, and barriers to accessing services. This research explores how occupational therapy functions to identify needs early and provide real-time strategies during a critical transition period.   Additional Resources:  Interoception & Trauma: The Latest Science on Healing  Trauma, Occupation and Participation, Considerations in Occupational Therapy by Amy Lynch and Rachel Ashcraft   Sensory Healing After Developmental Trauma by Marti Smith   Complete the following survey for a contact hour certificate: https://forms.aota.org/forms/everyday_evidence_copy?PODCAST=OT and Foster Care:  Strengthening Development at First Contact