opioid epidemic

The Biden Administration recently announced $450 million in spending to bolster drug abuse prevention and treatment amid a national epidemic of overdose deaths.

This summer, the National Conference of State Legislatures convened its first-ever child welfare fellowship for state-level politicians. The year-long initiative, funded by national grant maker Ballmer Group, is aimed at raising the level of political leadership among state legislators on family preservation, foster care and adoption in the state house.

The House and Senate wrapped up a deal on a sprawling bill meant to assist states in fighting the opioid epidemic, which claimed 50,000 lives last year and has contributed to a five-year surge in the number of youth in foster care.

On February 9, President Donald Trump signed into law the most significant reform to foster care since the federal government got into that business. This fundamental re-ordering of the government’s role in child welfare extends far beyond the 437,000 children living in foster care today.

The second most common cause for entry into foster care system nationwide, parental substance use disorder consistently jeopardizes child health and safety. An uptick in the use of opioids and other substances has led to a rise in the number of children being removed from their homes due to parental substance abuse.