Care4Kids Program
Care4Kids is a Wisconsin Medicaid health plan program that helps children and teens in out-of-home care (OHC) access the health services they need, when they need them.
The Care4Kids program creates a “medical home” team for eligible children. This means they get a treatment plan specific to their health care needs and a health care coordinator (HCC). HCCs are from the health plan and help kids, families, caregivers, and providers.
A medical home is a concept, not a place. Each child has a team that works together to meet their needs. The medical home helps bring team members, the child, and the child’s family together. It helps to assure the best possible medical and community health outcomes.
The Care4Kids Program serves about 3,000 children.
Essential children's resources
Wisconsin Wayfinder supports families of children with delays, disabilities, special health care needs, and mental health conditions. Children’s resource guides are helpers who assist families, caregivers, professionals, and organizations in finding a wide array of supports and services available through the Children’s Resource Network.
Our program goals
- Coordinated health care: Every child in Care4Kids has an HCC who works with the child and their parents, child welfare professionals, doctors, the child’s caregivers, and anyone else identified as vital to the child’s well-being to create the child's healthcare plan.
- Getting care quickly: Children get an initial health check-up within two business days and a full check within 30 days of entering foster care. This helps the team understand their medical needs right away and start any necessary care. Children also get regular checkups to stay healthy.
- Quality care: Care4Kids staff and health care providers understand the unique needs of children in out of home care. The program ensures children receive effective, efficient, and appropriate care to meet those needs.
- Complete health support: This includes everything from physical and mental health to dental and oral health needs.
- Support during transitions: Care4Kids helps ensure children continue receiving healthcare and support even after leaving out of home care.
Working as a team
Each child who is enrolled in Care4Kids has a team that works together to make a care plan that meets the specific needs of the child. The team makes sure the care plan continues to meet the child’s needs. They will change the plan if needed.
The team includes:
- A Care4Kids HCC.
- A child welfare professional.
- The child and their family members.
- Out of home caregivers.
- The child’s doctors.
Who can enroll
The Care4Kids program is for children who are placed in out-of-home care in these counties:
- Kenosha
- Ozaukee
- Milwaukee
- Racine
- Washington
- Waukesha
Soon after a child is placed in out-of-home care, the Care4Kids enrollment specialist calls the parents or legal guardian about the program and to ask if the child can be enrolled. A letter is also sent to parents and legal guardians.
If you are the parent or legal guardian of a child in out-of-home care in one of the above counties, the Care4Kids enrollment specialist is available to talk if you want to:
- Enroll your child in the program.
- Ask questions about how the program works.
- Understand the benefits offered through the program.
- Know your rights as the parent or legal guardian of a child in the program, including your right to disenroll your child from Care4Kids at any time.
Call the Care4Kids enrollment specialist
Call 800-291-2002
Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Choose the option for your language of choice. Then choose option 3 for Care4Kids.
Related topics
- Health Care and Coverage
- Children’s Hospital of WI
- Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board
- Wisconsin Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health (IDD-MH) System Improvement
- Children’s specialty managed care plan Care4KidsManaged Care Program Annual Report (MCPAR) (PDF)
- Under Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulation 42 CFR § 438.66(e), states must complete one MCPAR for each managed care program in the state.
- 2025-2027 Wisconsin Medicaid Managed Care Quality Strategy
- The Wisconsin Medicaid Managed Care Quality Strategy will help DHS understand how well its health plans, including Care4Kids, are working for Medicaid members and how to make them better. The department developed this strategy using feedback from groups it works with, the latest data, and information from CMS.