The Adoption Medicine Clinic at M Health Fairview Masonic Children's Hospital is internationally recognized and offers comprehensive care using a team approach to ensure better mental, developmental and physical health for children who are adopted or in foster care.
Overview
The Adoption Medicine Clinic (AMC) at University of Minnesota is an outpatient clinic serving families with children in foster/kinship care and those adopted domestically and internationally. Founded in 1986, our clinic is a global leader in adoption medicine, research, education and advocacy. We specialize in addressing the comprehensive medical, developmental, and mental health needs of children who have experienced early adversity from lack of permanency, trauma, abuse and neglect through our Comprehensive Child Wellness Assessments.
Our approach
Comprehensive Child Wellness Assessment (CCWA)
Children that have been adopted or that have experienced out of home placement, like foster or kinship care, are at a greater risk for prenatal drug and alcohol exposures, prenatal stress and postnatal trauma compared to their peers who have not been separated from biological parents. Because of this, it is critical that all children, no matter the age that separation occurs, receive proper assessment from trauma informed, foster and adoption specialists, to mitigate the risk of misdiagnosis or undiagnosed conditions. Conditions left mistreated or untreated in early childhood, can result in secondary conditions affecting late adolescents and adulthood.
Components of the CCWA
The Comprehensive Child Wellness Assessment (CCWA) is a 60 to 90 minute clinic assessment, where a child will be seen by a pediatrician, occupational therapist, and child psychologist. As a clinic that specializes in early intervention and prevention, comprehensive assessments are for children ages 0 to 10 years of age.*
Each CCWA may include:
- Head-to-Toe Physical Examination & Review of Medical History
- Medical Screening for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Developmental Screening
- Mental Health Risk & Assessment
- Lab Work to Screen for Underlying Medical Conditions
- Oral Health Assessments (pilot program, age 4-10, Monday clinics)
- Referral & Resource Support for Specialty Services
- Continued Follow-up
Our team works with families
Our clinic will partner with a child’s care team whether that be in the community or at school to make sure their primary care physicians, therapists, teachers, caregivers and oral health teams understand their needs as they grow and develop.
Upon request, we can see children over the age of 10, however, their visits will only include physical examination, review of medical history, the medical portion for FASD screening and referral/resource support. Email iac@umn.edu to inquire about an appointment for a child over the age of 10.
The Adoption Medicine Clinic does offer pre-adoption medical consultation and medical reviews for prospective adoptive families. Learn more