Children in Child Welfare are More Likely to be Prescribed Psychotropic Medication than Other Children on Medicaid: Findings from Florida and Kentucky

The use of psychotropic medications in children is a complex issue for parents, caregivers, health care professionals, researchers, and policymakers. Psychotropic medications are used to treat behavioral health conditions. When these medications are prescribed appropriately, they can be effective in managing behavioral health symptoms. This brief looks at psychotropic prescribing patterns for children in the child welfare system and on Medicaid in two states. Key findings include:

• Children on Medicaid and involved with the child welfare system were more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications in comparison to children just on Medicaid. Using data from Kentucky and Florida, this includes both psychotropics overall and specifically for antidepressant, antipsychotic, and stimulant prescriptions.
• Children ages 12 to 17 across the sample had a higher percentage of psychotropic medication prescriptions relative to younger children, with boys receiving more prescriptions than girls.
• Among children in foster care, those placed in congregate care facilities or group homes were more likely to be prescribed a psychotropic medication than children in family foster homes. Children in non-relative family foster homes were more likely to be prescribed a psychotropic medication than children in relative family foster homes.

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