CareSource PASSE strengthens Every Child Arkansas campaign to improve foster care system

Every Child Arkansas honored with Heart of the Community Award

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (June 20, 2024) – Every Child Arkansas (ECA) is honored to receive a 2024 Heart of the Community award from CareSource PASSE, a managed care organization serving Arkansas Medicaid recipients. The award includes a $100,000 donation to support ECA’s recently announced campaign to celebrate foster families and inspire more people to become foster parents.

"As a PASSE for the State of Arkansas, CareSource is providing critical health care and other services to children and families in our State,” said Phillip Goad, Ph.D., chair of the Every Child Arkansas Executive Leadership Council. “We share the same desire to serve these folks and welcome our partnership with CareSource. We’re grateful for their generous donation to ECA to help fund our efforts to recruit and support families desiring to serve as foster families here in Arkansas. We’re also thankful for their 2024 Heart of the Community Award and are honored to work alongside CareSource on behalf of children and families.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that about half of children in foster care have chronic physical conditions such as asthma, anemia or neurological disorders. Nearly 10% are considered medically fragile or requiring complex care. In Arkansas, CareSource PASSE serves Medicaid members with complex behavioral health, developmental or intellectual disabilities by providing care coordinators who help individuals and caregivers navigate the health care system and connect to critical resources outside of a traditional doctor’s office.

“CareSource currently serves more than 400 Arkansas children in foster care and while I’m immensely proud of the work our care coordination team does for members and their caregivers, our work won’t be possible without the efforts of Every Child Arkansas and their member organizations,” said David Donohue, president of CareSource PASSE. “We all strive to empower Arkansas children in foster care to live their best possible lives, and we’re grateful for the collaboration of the community to do so.”’

About CareSource PASSE

CareSource PASSE is a Provider-Led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity. The entity was formed to serve Arkansas Medicaid recipients with complex behavioral health, developmental and intellectual disabilities. The provider-led partnership includes health care and community leadership from across Arkansas with a shared commitment to transforming the delivery of care for its members. The organization creates innovative community solutions focused on a person-centered approach and engagement through caregivers, providers and community-based organizations.

For more, visit www.caresource.com/Arkansas, follow us on X, formally known as Twitter or Facebook.

About Every Child Arkansas

Established under Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders Executive Order 23-18, Every Child Arkansas is a network of advocates, agencies and faith-based organizations with the goal of protecting vulnerable children, supporting foster families and improving the foster care system throughout the state of Arkansas. Learn more at EveryChildArkansas.org.