Parental drug abuse linked to Minnesota foster care placements

Referrals to child protective services in the US state of Minnesota continue to rise, with the main reason for the increased number of children in foster care being drug abuse by their parents.

Data, released yesterday by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, showed that in 2016, the agency received more than 39,700 reports of suspected child abuse, with more than 31,000 of these allegations verified.

Parental drug abuse was the main reason that 27.1% of children were placed in foster care in 2016 for their first time in the system, a greater percentage that was placed due to neglect. Data also showed that prenatal drug exposure has been increasing since 2012. In 2016, 1,330 children were exposed to drugs and alcohol prenatally, an increase of 113% since 2012.

The data were included in two reports submitted to the Minnesota Legislature: ‘Minnesota’s Out-of-Home Care and Permanency Report’ and ‘Minnesota’s Child Maltreatment Report’. Emily Piper, the Minnesota Human Services Commissioner, said these reports serve as a warning that the state must increase its efforts to combat disorders related to substance abuse.

Piper said, “Substance abuse has reached a crisis in Minnesota. To protect and safely care for children, we must act quickly to help parents work through their struggles and overcome their addictions.”

Piper added that most individuals who receive treatment for chemical dependency typically show significant improvement and refrain from abusing drugs in the long term.