Ohio Did Not Ensure the Accuracy and Completeness of Psychotropic and Opioid Medication Information Recorded in Its Child Welfare Information System for Children in Foster Care

To receive Federal funding for child welfare services, States are required to have a plan for overseeing and coordinating health care services for any child in foster care placement, including medications prescribed for the children. Psychotropic and opioid medications are among those that may be prescribed for children in foster care. Medications can have serious side effects, and ineffective monitoring may increase the risk for inappropriate dosing, frequent medication changes, or the use of inappropriate medication combinations. In recent audits, we found that children's case records did not always contain documentation to support that the required health care services were provided.