United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1998-09-30 monographic deposited born digital 100 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-98-182 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-182 P0b002ee1803a3353 f:he98182 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-182 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-182 HEHS-98-182 Foster children Interagency relations Drug abuse Drug treatment Alcohol or drug abuse problems Child custody Child adoption Parents Alcohol abuse Rehabilitation programs Los Angeles County (CA) Cook County (IL) Orleans Parish (LA) Illinois California Letter Report HEHS The number of children in foster care has nearly doubled since the mid-1980s, and today about half a million children are in the foster care system. The mid-1980s also marked the onset of the crack cocaine epidemic. More recently, the use of other hard drugs, such as methamphetamines and heroin, has been on the rise in some parts of the country. Research suggests that the escalating use of hard drugs has contributed to the growth in the foster care population, but little is known about the effect that parental substance abuse has on how and when children leave the system. Members of Congress have raised concern that children whose parents are drug addicts or alcoholics may languish in foster care for years before being placed in a safe, permanent home. This report discusses (1) the extent and characteristics of parental substance abuse among foster care cases, (2) the difficulties foster agencies face in making timely permanency decisions for foster children with substance-abusing parents, and (3) initiatives to achieve timely permanency outcomes for foster children with substance-abusing parents. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-182/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-182.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-182/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-182.pdf GAO/HEHS-98-182 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-182 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-98-182; Foster Care: Agencies Face Challenges Securing Stable; Foster children Interagency relations Drug abuse Drug treatment Alcohol or drug abuse problems Child custody Child adoption Parents Alcohol abuse Rehabilitation programs Los Angeles County (CA) Cook County (IL) Orleans Parish (LA) Illinois California Public Law 96-272 Public Law 103-382 Public Law 105-89