All of the funding sources listed under "How do we get financial and medical help with our family's special needs?  may help with medical care after a child goes home from the hospital, although some funding may be limited to specific services.  It will be helpful to discuss what your baby's medical needs will be at home as soon as a clear plan is developed, even while your baby is still hospitalized.  While still in the hospital, you can talk with your baby's doctor, the hospital discharge planner and the hospital social worker to help you find outside medical care resources such as Medi-Cal and CCS.

It is very important for you to have a doctor to take care of your baby as soon as he or she comes home from the hospital. If you already have a pediatrician, let the hospital know his or her name.  If you do not have a pediatrician, ask the hospital doctor(s), social worker, discharge planner or nurses for names of doctors in the community who are familiar with your child's diagnosis and who accept the type of medical insurance that your baby has. If you are in the Medi-Cal program, Medi-Cal will give you the names of doctors who accept Medi-Cal in your area. Even if your child does not receive Medi-Cal, he/she may be eligible for Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) or CCS.  Phone numbers for MediCal, CHDP and CCS in your county can be found under "How do we get financial and medical help with our family's special needs? 

Ways To Work With Your Doctor

• Select a doctor with whom you feel comfortable. You'll be working together to help your child.
• Be assertive, ask for what you need; write down your questions as you think of them and bring them to your child's appointment.
• Give honest and direct answers and expect the same; have confidence in your own observations and opinions.
• Don't hesitate to seek a second opinion if you feel you need more information.
• You may want to bring a friend or your baby's teacher to help you ask questions and hear what's being said.  Having that person take notes for you is always helpful.
• Ask for and keep copies of medical records and reports in a notebook. Parent record keeping notebooks (called The Family Notebook) are available through infant programs, your Regional Center or Warm Line Family Resource Center. Having copies of reports is especially important since, because of federal health privacy laws, it can be time consuming for agencies to get copies from providers.  If you already have copies of reports, you can provide them directly to new providers.

Dental Health

Dental health needs are as important as other health needs.  Children have all of their "baby teeth", typically, by age two.  Your child should visit a dentist within six months of the first tooth erupting, by age one or when your pediatrician recommends.

Finding a dentist for your child with special needs can be challenging because not all dentists feel comfortable working with a child with special needs.  A dentist who does take patients with special needs may not take your dental insurance.  To find a dentist for your child, ask your pediatrician or other medical specialist(s) for recommendations.  You can also talk with friends and ask them to recommend their child's dentist.  While WarmLine does not endorse or recommend providers, we do maintain a list of dentists who have had experience with children with special needs.  If your child has services through Alta California Regional Center, you can also ask your service coordinator for names of dentists who might be available to care for your child.