Visits at FaCES

If you are interested in scheduling a visit, please contact your DCF worker, as we require a referral.

All infants, children, and youth, from birth to eighteen years old, who are placed in foster homes through any of the Worcester area offices of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF), are eligible to have medical evaluations at FaCES. Our goal is to have children seen for a screening visit as soon as possible, preferably within seven days of initial placement in foster care. The primary objective of the FaCES clinic is to provide the 7 and 30 day mandated visits per department policy.

What Happens During Appointments?

After registration at the front desk on the second floor of the Benedict Building, our patients are brought into the clinic area by one of our nurses. Each child is weighed, has height measured, blood pressure taken, and may have vision or hearing tests done. After this is completed, the child will be brought to an exam room with his/her caregiver.

One of our doctors or nurse practitioners will then talk to the child and foster parent about past medical history, current health problems, and developmental, mental health, and behavioral concerns. A complete physical examination will then be performed, followed by any necessary lab work or immunizations. During the visit, caregivers and kids may be asked to complete some screenings for developmental, trauma and behavioral health concerns. We will discuss educational needs as appropriate.

All follow-up appointments and referrals will be made at the conclusion of the visit. An important goal of FaCES Clinic is to ensure that all children have a primary care provider and Medical Home at all times, especially when they are in foster care. While we encourage foster families to bring their children to the primary care doctor or nurse practitioner who followed them prior to their entry into foster care, we understand this is not always possible. In that situation, we will refer our patients to another primary care practice or health center for ongoing care. In addition, we send all medical information that we have gathered during their evaluation in FaCES to that provider. We request that caregivers bring all information they have about their child to each visit.