Our Mission
To provide equitable, trauma-informed, comprehensive health assessment and care navigation for foster youth, ensuring every child has access to the medical and behavioral health services they need to thrive. We partner with child welfare agencies, healthcare providers, and families to break down communication silos and deliver coordinated, team-based care that honors the unique experiences and resilience of each young person in our care.
Our Vision
A future where every foster youth receives timely, culturally responsive, and evidence-based health care within 72 hours of placement, supported by seamless communication and collaboration across all members of their care team. We envision a system where foster children's voices are heard, their trauma is understood, and their health — physical, mental, and developmental — is prioritized as a foundation for their wellbeing and success.
Our Core Values
Equity
We are committed to eliminating health disparities and ensuring every foster youth has equal access to high-quality, culturally responsive care regardless of background or circumstances.
Trauma-Informed Care
We recognize the profound impact of trauma and provide compassionate, evidence-based approaches that promote healing, resilience, and trust in every interaction.
Collaboration
We believe in breaking down silos and fostering seamless communication between caseworkers, healthcare providers, families, and youth to deliver integrated, coordinated care.
Excellence
We are dedicated to providing the highest standards of clinical care, grounded in evidence-based practices and continuous quality improvement.
Youth Voice
We center the perspectives, preferences, and autonomy of young people in all decisions affecting their care, honoring their agency and lived experience.
Accountability
We take responsibility for outcomes, measure our impact, and remain transparent with the communities we serve and the stakeholders who trust us.
In the News
Fostering Success: GVSU initiatives strengthen support for foster youth, from infant to college-age
GVSU nursing faculty Christina Quick, Emily Bemben, and Amy Rohn are piloting a trauma-informed, mobile, integrated health care model to screen foster children within 72 hours of placement.
It's hard for foster kids to get the health care they need, but this project is working to change that
A GVSU project is creating an integrated mobile care team to serve foster kids' complex health needs — addressing gaps in physical, behavioral, and developmental care within Kent County.
Mental health ambassadors and prenatal coaches: Michigan orgs tackle social determinants of health
Michigan organizations — including GVSU's Kirkhof College of Nursing — are innovating to address the non-medical factors that influence people's health.