One in Five (20%) Minnesota families with children has a child with a disability or chronic health condition.

• Approximately 14.6 million children ages 0 to 17 in the US have special health care needs (CYSHCN). That’s nearly 20% (19.8%).

Children and youth with special health care needs are those who have (or who are at increased risk for) a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that generally required.

                                                                                                Maternal Child Health Bureau

• CYSHCN often have more than one condition and functional difficulties in more than one area that impacts their daily lives, such as breathing, communicating, chronic pain, learning, moving around, behavior, or challenges in making and keeping friends. 

• CYSCHCN require more health care services than other children:
  • 4 times # of hospitalizations
  • 7 times # days of hospital care
  • 7 times # of annual visits to providers
  • 5 times # of prescriptions
• The Impact on Families
  • 13.5% of families spend 11+ hours per week on care coordination
  • 57% of families experience financial problems
  • 54% had a family member stop working to care for their child
  • 49% needed additional income for medical expenses
• Families face challenges accessing community-based services
  • As the level of a child’s medical complexity increases, so too does the likelihood that a parent will experience frustration obtaining the services a child needs. 
  • The addition of an emotional, behavioral or developmental issue increases the likelihood that access to services will be difficult

But we also know:

Families love their children and believe that their children are important, valuable members of their families, our communities, our state and our country.