Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 722.954c - Regulations and guidelines regarding the medical care and medical records of children in foster care

The Family Independence Agency or private placement agency (“supervising agency”) must receive, from the parent or guardian of each child in their care, authorization to release the child’s medical records and the name and address of the child’s primary medical provider. The supervising agency must ensure that the child sees the same primary medical provider while in the care of the agency unless the provider is a managed care health plan or seeing the same provider would “create an unreasonable burden” for the party caring for the child.

The supervising agency must create “medical passports” for the children in their care that contain the child’s medical history, immunization records, information on the child’s physical and mental health, and any information that the law requires foster parents to receive. Whenever a child is transferred to another foster care worker, the transferring worker must sign and date the passport as verification that passport information is current. The department will maintain copies of each passport “in a central location.”

The supervising agency must obtain a psychological evaluation of any child in their care that “has suffered sexual abuse, serious physical abuse, or mental illness.” The supervising agency must obtain a medical examination of all children, upon their placement in the agency’s care, so that they agency has a record of their medical status at this time.