In most states, the primary reason children are in foster care is because one or both of their parents are substance abusers. State and local child welfare agencies estimate that up to 80 percent of the families on their caseloads have substance abuse problems. By targeting substance abuse treatment policymakers can pursue one of the most promising strategies to timely reunification.

What Can Policymakers Do?

• Ensure timely substance abuse treatment. Maryland’s innovative Maryland Opportunity Compact has shown promising reunification results and is also cost effective. Legislation in Ohio[i] and New York[ii] requires local boards and the state respectively to provide admission priority to drug, alcohol, and substance abuse treatment to parents whose children are in foster care or in jeopardy of placement. In Arizona, the Governor issued an Executive Order that allows CPS families to have priority access to expanded treatment through Arizona’s highly successful Families F.I.R.S.T Initiative. An independent evaluation of the initiative has supported the success of the program in achieving reunification[iii].

• Expand drug courts. The Texas legislature[iv] required its child welfare agency to establish a family drug court program with the goal of family reunification.

• Require and fund substance abuse specialists for child welfare agencies. Washington State[v] appropriated $2.2 million in 2005 for a new law[vi] requiring the state child welfare agency to contract for a substance abuse specialist at each child welfare office to better connect families to treatment services.