Parental substance use is a common reason for placing children in out-of-home care. About 4 in 10 children who enter foster care have parental substance use identified as a concern. But the likelihood of families having substance use issues and becoming involved with the child welfare system differs by age and where they live.

As children age, their likelihood of having lived with someone who has a substance use issue increases, but their likelihood of child welfare involvement because of parental substance use decreases. Geography also impacts that likelihood. Nearly half of the children in rural counties who are removed from home and enter foster care are removed partly because of a parent’s substance use compared with one in four in the most urban counties.

Children who encounter the child welfare system because of parental substance use have a different experience in the system than those not affected by substance use. They are more likely to have the additional removal reasons of inadequate housing or parental incarceration. They also typically stay longer in foster care than those without this risk factor.