Children and Families Specialty Plan

Children and Families Specialty Plan

NCDHHS released it's revised Children and Families Specialty Plan Policy Paper on Feb. 18, 2022.

The original North Carolina's Specialized Foster Care Plan was released in February 2021, requesting input from those who support these populations and other interested stakeholders. After reviewing recommendations, NCDHHS offers several updates to the Children and Families Specialty Plan (temporary new name of the Plan). 

This will allow time for additional design and input on key features of the Plan for children and youth currently and formerly served by the child welfare system.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Children and Families Specialty Plan

The Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP) will be a statewide specialty NC Medicaid Managed Care plan to ensure access to comprehensive physical and behavioral health services while maintaining treatment plans when placements change.

The Children and Families Specialty Plan will include care management services to improve coordination among service providers, families, involved entities (such as the Department of Social Services, Division of Juvenile Justice and schools) and other stakeholders involved in serving Plan members. 

Interim Plan to be Developed

To ensure these children and youth are not required to make multiple transitions related to North Carolina's move to managed care, NCDHHS will seek input from key stakeholders on an interim plan that will:

• Ensure children receive a full range of physical and behavioral health services.
• Leverage the existing NC Medicaid Direct primary care and LME/MCO behavioral health system while directly addressing challenges and mitigating problems children in foster care face today.
• Ensure children in foster care receive increased coordination of care.
• Include legislative changes necessary to support the launch of the Children and Families Specialty Plan.

Tailored Care Management

Tailored Care Management is aimed at promoting whole-person care, fostering high-functioning integrated care teams, and driving toward better health outcomes. Through Tailored Care Management, beneficiaries will have a single designated care manager supported by a multidisciplinary care team to address their physical health, behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD), pharmacy, long-term services and supports (LTSS), and unmet health-related resource needs. For more information, please see Tailored Care Management for Children and Youth Served by the Child Welfare System - Quick Reference Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Stakeholder Engagement to Come

NCDHHS will:

• Share details of the Children and Families Specialty Plan request for proposal not described in the policy paper.
• Consult with stakeholders on the policy paper feedback.
• Identify opportunities to align Children and Families Specialty Plan requirements with the Family First Prevention Services Act.
• Explore potential changes to reach children earlier and offer services to children in foster care and their families.

Children and Families Specialty Plan Workgroup

In 2021, NCDHHS continued to advance the development of the Children and Families Specialty Plan. NCDHHS conducted extensive stakeholder engagement earlier in the year and feedback received through workgroup sessions held from April through August 2021 has been instrumental in informing 2022 updates to the Children and Families Specialty Plan design. 

Fact Sheets

Fact sheets to address questions related to the Standard Plan disenrollment process for children in foster care are available:

• Foster care fact sheet for children, youth and their families
  • English
  • Spanish
• Foster care fact sheet for Medicaid providers

For more information email Medicaid.NCEngagement@dhhs.nc.gov