The new Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP) will go live on December 1, 2025. Blue Cross NC was awarded the contract for the Children and Families Specialty Plan in August 2024 and will be managed under Healthy Blue Care Together.
The Children and Families Specialty Plan is a single, statewide NC Medicaid Managed Care health plan designed to support beneficiaries in receiving seamless, integrated and coordinated health care. This will ensure beneficiaries can access the health care services they need, including mental health services, and continue to work with their doctors if placements move them across the state.
Potential Children and Families Specialty Plan beneficiaries include NC Medicaid-enrolled children, youth and young adults currently and formerly served by NC Child Welfare
As a statewide entity, the Children and Families Specialty Plan, regardless of a beneficiary’s geographic location or situation, will provide beneficiaries with the same basic Medicaid benefits and services and the following services:
- Physical health
- Behavioral health, such as outpatient therapy, inpatient treatment and crisis and therapeutic residential options for children
- 1915(i) Home and Community-Based services
- Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) services
- Long term services and supports
- Pharmacy services
- Unmet health-related resource needs
Stakeholder feedback was instrumental in shaping the Children and Families Specialty Plan. The Department used multiple avenues for stakeholder engagement throughout 2021, 2022 and 2024 that resulted in a Children and Families Specialty Plan design to provide beneficiaries with a specialized plan intended to improve near and long-term health outcomes, increase access to health and health-related services and strengthen and stabilize families.
The new health plan is part of North Carolina’s commitment to improving the long-term health and well-being of children experiencing the child welfare system and strengthen and support families.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP) is a new NC Medicaid Managed Care health plan.
It is a single, statewide health plan that will be managed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina under the name Healthy Blue Care Together.
Potential Children and Families Specialty Plan beneficiaries include NC Medicaid-enrolled children, youth and young adults currently and formerly served by NC Child Welfare. The Children and Families Specialty Plan will launch Dec. 1, 2025.
Until then, potential beneficiaries will continue to get health care services the same way they do today – through NC Medicaid Direct.
The Children and Families Specialty Plan is designed to provide beneficiaries with seamless, integrated, coordinated health care. Having a statewide health plan will ensure beneficiaries have access to the health care they need and can continue to receive care from their providers if their foster care placement causes them to move to another location in the state.
The health plan is part of North Carolina’s commitment to improve the long-term health and well-being of children who receive Child Welfare services.
- One single statewide plan: The health plan will operate statewide as the single entity accountable for the health care of its beneficiaries, simplifying processes and providing caregivers, providers, case workers and families with information to provide the right care at the right time.
- Informed by local needs: The health plan will collaborate with local Departments of Social Services, local stakeholders and families to understand and respond to needs in each community. Care managers will be located within the community to support this work.
- Prevention focused: The health plan will take a family-focused approach to care delivery to strengthen and preserve families, reduce entry and reentry into foster care and support reunification and other permanency plan options.
- Comprehensive care: The health plan will increase timely access to a broad range of physical health, behavioral health, pharmacy, long term services and supports and intellectual/development disabilities services and unmet health-related resource needs for all beneficiaries.
- Coordinated care: Care management will be provided to all beneficiaries to support integrated, whole-person care and facilitate coordination among service providers. It will also facilitate seamless transitions for beneficiaries who experience changes in treatment settings, child welfare placements, transitions to adulthood and/or loss of Medicaid eligibility.
The Children and Families Specialty Plan will meet the unique needs of NC Medicaid-enrolled children, youth and young adults currently and formerly served by NC Child Welfare. The plan will:
- Operate statewide and increase access to a broad range of physical health, behavioral health, pharmacy, long-term services and supports, intellectual/developmental disabilities services and unmet health-related resource needs for all beneficiaries.
- Having a statewide health plan will ensure beneficiaries have access to the health care they need and can continue to receive care from their providers if their foster care placement causes them to move to another location in the state.
- Take a family-focused approach to care delivery to strengthen and preserve families, prevent entry and reentry into foster care, support reunification and other permanency plan options.
- Closely coordinate with the Division of Social Services, local Departments of Social Services, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Family Safety Program and more broadly, with the System of Care, a comprehensive network of community-based services and supports.
- Provide care management (coordinate health care services) to all beneficiaries to support integrated, whole-person care and foster coordination across providers.
- Support beneficiaries in shared decision-making during transitions, including between health care settings and when transitioning out of foster care or Medicaid.
- Build a statewide provider network and train providers and plan staff in the unique needs and experiences of children, youth and young adults currently and formerly served by NC Child Welfare.
- Make sure all beneficiaries receive high-quality health care that promotes overall health and well-being.
NC Medicaid beneficiaries who are in foster care, receiving adoption assistance and enrolled in the former foster care eligibility will be eligible for the Children and Families Specialty Plan.
Most beneficiaries eligible for the Children and Families Specialty Plan will be automatically enrolled in the health plan. This includes:
- Children and youth currently in foster care
- Children and youth currently receiving adoption assistance
- Young adults under age 26 formerly in foster care
- Minor children of these populations
Beneficiaries of a federally recognized tribe or eligible for Indian Health Services eligible for the Children and Families Specialty Plan will not be auto-enrolled but can voluntarily enroll in the Children and Families Specialty Plan.
Additional Resources
Webinar: North Carolina Medicaid Managed Care Transformation as of April 1, 2023: Implications for Children and Youth Served by the Child Welfare System: A Resource for DSS County Child Welfare Workers - March 23, 2023
Webinar: Transition to Tailored Care Management for Children/Youth Served by the Child Welfare System:
A Resource for County DSS and Other Stakeholders - Nov. 29, 2022
Webinar: Updates on North Carolina’s Children and Families Specialty Plan - Feb. 17, 2022
- Presentation
- Recording (Passcode: 81x1?u#Z)
Webinar: An Update on North Carolina’s Specialized Foster Care Plan – June 4, 2021
Webinar: An Overview of North Carolina's Specialized Foster Care Plan – Feb. 11, 2021
Date | Proposed Topic(s) | Meeting Materials |
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Jan. 11, 2022 | Update on North Carolina’s Specialized Foster Care Plan |
Date | Proposed Topic(s) | Meeting Materials |
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April 19, 2021 |
| |
May 3, 2021 |
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May 17, 2021 | Care Management | |
June 7, 2021 | Stakeholder Brainstorm on Care Management | |
June 22, 2021 | Care Management, cont. | |
July 12, 2021 | Quality and Outcomes | |
July 26, 2021 | Provider Network | |
Aug. 9, 2021 | Workgroup Lookback and Next Steps |
About the Children and Families Specialty Plan
NCDHHS released the revised Children and Families Specialty Plan Policy Paper on Jan. 16, 2024.
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.
For more information email Medicaid.NCEngagement@dhhs.nc.gov.
This page was last modified on 04/29/2025