Child Welfare Caregivers of Differing English-Language Use: Perceptions of Pediatric Health Care Access Barriers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore child welfare caregivers' perceptions of health care access barriers and pediatric health care use for children under their care. The caregivers have different levels of English-language use. A cross-sectional sample of 237 parents was interviewed at a child welfare pediatric clinic in Los Angeles, California. Non-English-speaking parents utilized pediatric health services for their children as often as English-speaking parents. Few differences existed in relation to parents' perceptions of access barriers with English-speaking parents rating barriers related to inconvenience of services and rudeness of staff as more troublesome than parents who were non-English speaking. All parents rated difficulty understanding doctors' explanations as the greatest access barrier, which may negatively affect adherence to health recommendations for children in the child welfare system.