foster care

Most Read

Top stories

The Number of Children in Foster Care Is Surging and It Should Concern Us All

Foster care placements have increased for the fourth year in a row, in large part to parental drug abuse.

The Number of Children in Foster Care Is Surging and It Should Concern Us All
A serious young girl backlit by sunlight in a dark room. (Getty)

If it feels like opioid abuse has reached crisis levels in your city or community, you’re not wrong: America’s current rate of opioid addiction is now the biggest drug epidemic in national history. Nearly 500,000 people have died from overdoses in the past 15 years, mostly from heroin and related substances — prompting the president to declare opioid addiction a national public health emergency in October.

It’s no secret drug abuse strains state and community resources such as hospitals, clinics and jails, but one trend should have Americans particularly disturbed: The growing number of kids in foster care.

Keep reading...Show less