A Family Approach: Substance Abuse Impact and Solutions for Southern Foster Care Systems

CSG South, in partnership with Casey Family Programs, provides states with information and resources on child welfare. If you would like to learn more about our Foster Care Collaborative or explore ways to get involved, please contact Jill Clark at jclark@csg.org. For additional resources, visit Casey.org.

In recent years, the annual number of children entering foster care has decreased. However, children affected by parental substance use disorders in foster care have increased, with children coming in at younger ages, having more significant needs, and staying longer in the foster care system.¹ Data on the rates of parental substance use disorders vary greatly as data collection methods can be inconsistent with metrics that measure family involvement. However, the trend of increased parental substance use disorders has become a common theme in research examining foster care.