Number Of West Virginia Children Entering Foster Care Due To Parental Addiction Rose 124% Between 2006 & 2016

Between 2006 and 2016, the number of children entering West Virginia foster care due to parental drug use and addiction increased by 124%, from 970 children in 2006 to 2,171 children in 2016.  About 70% of referrals to Child Protective Services (CPS) in 2017 have a substance abuse component, according to statistics from the Centralized Intake Unit of the West Virginia Bureau for Children and Families (BCF). The state court Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Database indicates that about 80% of CPS referrals from family court and circuit court judges have a substance abuse factor.  Caretaker drug abuse accounts . . .