Half of Washington's foster kids have parental drug or alcohol abuse on record

The short version

Claim we investigated

Parental drug or alcohol abuse is a removal reason for half of Washington's foster kids.

True. In 2025, 51.3% of Washington's foster children had parental drug or alcohol abuse recorded at their removal. Federal data show parental drug or alcohol abuse was recorded for 51.3% of children in Washington foster care in 2025, against 38% nationally. Among new removals in 2022, it was 42% to 46%.

Quote or cite this fact-check

FactHub rates the claim “Parental drug or alcohol abuse is a removal reason for half of Washington's foster kids” True (high confidence): In 2025, 51.3% of Washington's foster children had parental drug or alcohol abuse recorded at their removal. Reviewed November 12, 2026. https://facthub.org/n/article/washington-foster-care-parental-drug-abuse/2

Key points

What the evidence establishes

Established. In 2025, 51.3% of Washington children in foster care (4,525) had parental drug or alcohol abuse recorded when they were removed.
Established. Nationally the share was 38%. Washington tied Iowa for 7th highest among the 50 states and DC.
Established. Among children newly removed in 2022, the share was lower: parental drug or alcohol abuse was recorded for 42% to 46%.
Established. The state agency recorded parental drug abuse for 81.8% of newborns removed in 2024, 43.2% of infants and 27.5% of children aged 2 to 17.
Established. In 2015 to 2018, 58% of caregivers whose child was removed had signs of addiction; at most 49% got any Medicaid-paid treatment within a year.
Context. States record removal reasons differently. States anecdotally say the data undercount, but part of Washington's lead may reflect record-keeping.

Important context: Foster care is where children go when the state removes them from their homes for their safety. Washington's Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) makes removals, and for each child it records the conditions behind the removal, such as neglect, physical abuse or a parent's drug abuse. Every state sends these records to the federal government in a common format, which lets states be compared. These records matter to a debate over whether addiction, not only poverty or housing, drives harm to children. Two very different figures circulate for Washington: about half, and 27%. We checked which one describes the state's foster children.

The evidence

The conclusion rests on the combined record. Expand each item to see its role and limitations.

Independence note: This check uses 5 methods across 5 institutions and 1 country or international grouping.

Evidence map
Method	Institution / country	Year(s)	What it shows	Key limitation	Primary links
Read the NCSACW 2025 state table and the national 2000-2025 series, and the 2019 and 2021 editions from the Internet Archive; ranked the 50 states and DC by share	National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare United States	2019, 2021, 2025	Every state reports each foster child's removal reasons to the U.S. Children's Bureau. A federally funded center tallies how many children in care during the year had parental alcohol or drug abuse recorded. For federal fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), Washington's share was 51.3%, or 4,525 children. The national share was 38%. Washington tied Iowa for 7th of the 50 states and DC, behind Alaska (65.1%), Utah (59.6%) and Texas (58.4%). Washington's share was 43.4% in the 2019 edition of the table and 44.5% in the 2021 edition, while the national share stayed near 38% to 39%.	The count covers every child in care at any point in the year, including children removed in earlier years, so it is not the share of new removals. Earlier editions may use different data versions, so the rise since 2019 is approximate. Iowa's and Indiana's figures are estimated from entries.	National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
Read the circumstances table in the Children's Bureau's Washington reports for fiscal years 2021 and 2022	U.S. Children's Bureau United States	2021, 2022	The federal agency's own reports for Washington list the circumstances recorded for children who entered care in each year. Of 3,518 children who entered in fiscal year 2022, parental drug abuse was recorded for 1,467 (42%) and parental alcohol abuse for 144 (4%). In 2021 the drug figure was 1,511 of 3,849 (39%). Neglect was recorded for 61% in both years, and a child can have several circumstances, so the drug and alcohol counts can't simply be added.	These are preliminary estimates, and the reports for 2023 and 2024 were not posted at the same address. Because drug and alcohol abuse overlap, the combined share for new removals is between 42% and 46% in 2022.	U.S. Children's Bureau U.S. Children's Bureau
Read the dashboard's Factors tab for each age group, statewide and for King County, 2017 to 2024, from its hover values	Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families United States	2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024	Washington's child welfare agency, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), publishes a dashboard of contributing factors for children entering care. Its chart shows one age group at a time and opens on children aged 2 to 17. In that default view, parental drug abuse was a factor in 27.5% of 2024 removals. For infants it was 43.2%, and for newborns 81.8%. The shares were similar every year from 2017 to 2024. A figure of about 27% for the state therefore describes older children, not all removals.	The dashboard gives no all-ages figure for this measure, and it doesn't say whether its infant group includes newborns. Figures were read from the dashboard's hover values. Parental alcohol abuse is a separate factor.	Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
Read DSHS Research and Data Analysis report 7.121 and its companion maps	Washington State Department of Social and Health Services United States	2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020	The state's research office linked child welfare records to Medicaid diagnoses, prescriptions and treatment, and to drug arrests, for 2015 to 2018. Of 27,431 caregivers with a child in out-of-home care, 58% had a substance use disorder in the year before the removal. Across all 148,264 caregivers in accepted child protection cases, most of whom never had a child removed, it was 27%. Of the caregivers with a child removed and an addiction, 49% got any treatment paid by Medicaid in the next 12 months. The study calls this a ceiling, since a single service counted, and says real engagement in treatment was likely much lower.	The study ends in mid-2018, before fentanyl spread widely in Washington, and counts only Medicaid-paid treatment. Its addiction measure includes removal reasons, so it partly overlaps the federal data.	Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division
Read the federal codebook definitions and the center's notes on the state table	National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect, National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare United States	2025	Federal rules give each removal reason its own yes-or-no field, so a caseworker can mark several. Parental drug abuse means the main caretaker's compulsive drug use that is not temporary, recorded as a condition associated with the removal. The center that publishes the state table warns that states record these fields differently, and that sometimes only the primary reason reaches the federal data. States also say, anecdotally, that the data undercount these cases. Uneven recording may explain very low figures such as Louisiana's 3.0%, though the center doesn't name states.	We did not find a study measuring how completely Washington records these fields compared with other states.	National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)

1. Federal data: about half of Washington's foster children, against 38% nationally Read the NCSACW 2025 state table and the national 2000-2025 series, and the 2019 and 2021 editions from the Internet Archive; ranked the 50 states and DC by share

Every state reports each foster child's removal reasons to the U.S. Children's Bureau. A federally funded center tallies how many children in care during the year had parental alcohol or drug abuse recorded. For federal fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), Washington's share was 51.3%, or 4,525 children. The national share was 38%. Washington tied Iowa for 7th of the 50 states and DC, behind Alaska (65.1%), Utah (59.6%) and Texas (58.4%). Washington's share was 43.4% in the 2019 edition of the table and 44.5% in the 2021 edition, while the national share stayed near 38% to 39%.

Limit: The count covers every child in care at any point in the year, including children removed in earlier years, so it is not the share of new removals. Earlier editions may use different data versions, so the rise since 2019 is approximate. Iowa's and Indiana's figures are estimated from entries.

Verify: Parental Alcohol or Drug Abuse as a Circumstance Reported at Removal by State, 2025 Parental Alcohol or Drug Abuse as an Identified Condition of Removal by State, 2021 (archived copy) Parental Alcohol or Other Drug Abuse as an Identified Condition or Removal by State, 2019 (archived copy) Prevalence of Parental Alcohol or Drug Abuse as a Circumstance Reported at Removal in the United States, 2000 to 2025

In federal fiscal year 2025, 51.3% of Washington children in foster care (4,525 children) had parental alcohol or drug abuse recorded as a circumstance of removal. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
Nationally, 38% of children in foster care in 2025 had parental alcohol or drug abuse recorded at removal (181,620 children). National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
The figures count every child in out-of-home care at some point during the year, not only children newly removed. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) · Qualifies
The 2021 edition put Washington at 44.5% (5,944 of 13,354 children) and the nation at 39.1%. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
The 2019 edition put Washington at 43.4% and the nation at 38.9%. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
The national share rose from 18.5% in 2000 to 38% in 2025. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)

Washington's 51.3% ranks near the top of the states; the national figure is 38%. Counts every child in foster care during federal fiscal year 2025. View source chart

2. Among new removals: about 4 in 10 Read the circumstances table in the Children's Bureau's Washington reports for fiscal years 2021 and 2022

The federal agency's own reports for Washington list the circumstances recorded for children who entered care in each year. Of 3,518 children who entered in fiscal year 2022, parental drug abuse was recorded for 1,467 (42%) and parental alcohol abuse for 144 (4%). In 2021 the drug figure was 1,511 of 3,849 (39%). Neglect was recorded for 61% in both years, and a child can have several circumstances, so the drug and alcohol counts can't simply be added.

Limit: These are preliminary estimates, and the reports for 2023 and 2024 were not posted at the same address. Because drug and alcohol abuse overlap, the combined share for new removals is between 42% and 46% in 2022.

Verify: AFCARS state data report for Washington, fiscal year 2022 (preliminary estimates as of May 9, 2023) AFCARS state data report for Washington, fiscal year 2021 (preliminary estimates as of June 28, 2022)

Of 3,518 children who entered foster care in Washington in fiscal year 2022, parental drug abuse was recorded for 1,467 (42%). U.S. Children's Bureau
Parental alcohol abuse was recorded for 144 entering children (4%) and neglect for 2,138 (61%). U.S. Children's Bureau · Qualifies
The report notes that a child can have several circumstances. U.S. Children's Bureau · Qualifies
Of 3,849 children who entered care in Washington in fiscal year 2021, parental drug abuse was recorded for 1,511 (39%). U.S. Children's Bureau

3. Where the 27% comes from: the state dashboard opens on older children Read the dashboard's Factors tab for each age group, statewide and for King County, 2017 to 2024, from its hover values

Washington's child welfare agency, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), publishes a dashboard of contributing factors for children entering care. Its chart shows one age group at a time and opens on children aged 2 to 17. In that default view, parental drug abuse was a factor in 27.5% of 2024 removals. For infants it was 43.2%, and for newborns 81.8%. The shares were similar every year from 2017 to 2024. A figure of about 27% for the state therefore describes older children, not all removals.

Limit: The dashboard gives no all-ages figure for this measure, and it doesn't say whether its infant group includes newborns. Figures were read from the dashboard's hover values. Parental alcohol abuse is a separate factor.

Verify: Prevention Dashboard (version 1.16), Factors tab

The dashboard opens on children aged 2 to 17; for them, parental drug abuse was a contributing factor in 27.5% of 2024 removals. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) · Qualifies
For infants it was 43.2% in 2024. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
For newborns it was 81.8% in 2024, and between 75% and 81% every year from 2017 to 2023. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
The dashboard uses the federal definitions and lets each removal carry several factors. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) · Qualifies
In King County in 2024 the share was 18.3% for children aged 2 to 17, below the state's 27.5%, and 86.4% for newborns. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) · Contradicts

Parental drug abuse is recorded far more often for babies than for older children. The state dashboard opens on ages 2 to 17, the source of the 27% figure. View source chart

4. A state study that also used health and arrest records found 58% Read DSHS Research and Data Analysis report 7.121 and its companion maps

The state's research office linked child welfare records to Medicaid diagnoses, prescriptions and treatment, and to drug arrests, for 2015 to 2018. Of 27,431 caregivers with a child in out-of-home care, 58% had a substance use disorder in the year before the removal. Across all 148,264 caregivers in accepted child protection cases, most of whom never had a child removed, it was 27%. Of the caregivers with a child removed and an addiction, 49% got any treatment paid by Medicaid in the next 12 months. The study calls this a ceiling, since a single service counted, and says real engagement in treatment was likely much lower.

Limit: The study ends in mid-2018, before fentanyl spread widely in Washington, and counts only Medicaid-paid treatment. Its addiction measure includes removal reasons, so it partly overlaps the federal data.

Verify: Substance Use Disorder Treatment Penetration among Child Welfare-Involved Caregivers (Report 7.121, December 2020)

In 2015 to 2018, 58% of caregivers whose child was removed had a substance use disorder in the year before the removal, against 27% of all caregivers in child welfare cases. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division
Of those caregivers with a child removed and an addiction, 49% got any addiction treatment in the 12 months after the removal. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division
The study says its treatment figures are a ceiling, because a single service counted as treatment; real engagement in treatment was likely much lower. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division · Qualifies
Treatment was counted only for caregivers with Medicaid, because only Medicaid-paid treatment was in the data. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division · Qualifies
The study counted a caregiver as having an addiction from several records, including a removal reason of substance use, so it is not fully separate from the removal data. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division · Qualifies

5. How removal reasons are recorded Read the federal codebook definitions and the center's notes on the state table

Federal rules give each removal reason its own yes-or-no field, so a caseworker can mark several. Parental drug abuse means the main caretaker's compulsive drug use that is not temporary, recorded as a condition associated with the removal. The center that publishes the state table warns that states record these fields differently, and that sometimes only the primary reason reaches the federal data. States also say, anecdotally, that the data undercount these cases. Uneven recording may explain very low figures such as Louisiana's 3.0%, though the center doesn't name states.

Limit: We did not find a study measuring how completely Washington records these fields compared with other states.

Verify: AFCARS Foster Care File Codebook Parental Alcohol or Drug Abuse as a Circumstance Reported at Removal by State, 2025

Parental drug abuse means the main caretaker's compulsive drug use that is not temporary, recorded as a condition associated with the removal; each reason is its own yes-or-no field. National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect · Qualifies
The center warns that states record removal reasons differently and that sometimes only the primary reason reaches the federal data. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) · Qualifies
The center says states often report, anecdotally, that the share of removals involving parental alcohol or drug abuse is much higher than the data show. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)

Common questions 7

“Is parental drug abuse recorded for only about a quarter of children Washington removes?”

Short answer: Only for children aged 2 and up

Only for children aged 2 to 17. The quarter, about 27%, comes from narrower state figures. The state agency's dashboard opens on children aged 2 to 17, where parental drug abuse was a factor in 27.5% of 2024 removals; for infants it was 43.2% and for newborns 81.8%. A state study's 27% is the share of all caregivers in child protection cases with an addiction; most never had a child removed.

The dashboard opens on children aged 2 to 17; for them, parental drug abuse was a contributing factor in 27.5% of 2024 removals. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) · Qualifies
For infants it was 43.2% in 2024. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
For newborns it was 81.8% in 2024, and between 75% and 81% every year from 2017 to 2023. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
In 2015 to 2018, 58% of caregivers whose child was removed had a substance use disorder in the year before the removal, against 27% of all caregivers in child welfare cases. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division

See the evidence: Where the 27% comes from: the state dashboard opens on older children

“Among children newly removed in 2022, was parental drug or alcohol abuse recorded for half?”

Short answer: No, 42% to 46%

No, it was 42% to 46%. Among children who entered care in 2022, the newest federal figures for new removals, parental drug abuse was recorded for 42% and alcohol abuse for 4%; because some children had both, the combined share was 42% to 46%. The 51.3% for 2025 is higher because it counts every child in care during the year, including children removed in earlier years. The federal tables don't say why; one possibility, which we didn't measure, is that these children stay in care longer. We found no all-ages figure for new removals after the July 2023 law that raised the bar for removal. The state agency's 2024 shares by age were close to earlier years, but a shift toward more newborn removals could still raise the overall share.

The figures count every child in out-of-home care at some point during the year, not only children newly removed. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) · Qualifies
Of 3,518 children who entered foster care in Washington in fiscal year 2022, parental drug abuse was recorded for 1,467 (42%). U.S. Children's Bureau
Parental alcohol abuse was recorded for 144 entering children (4%) and neglect for 2,138 (61%). U.S. Children's Bureau · Qualifies
The dashboard opens on children aged 2 to 17; for them, parental drug abuse was a contributing factor in 27.5% of 2024 removals. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) · Qualifies
The agency says the 2023 law, effective July 1, 2023, is reducing removals. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) · Qualifies

See the evidence: Among new removals: about 4 in 10

“Does Washington just record it more than other states?”

Short answer: Possibly, in part

Possibly, in part. The federally funded center that publishes the table warns that states record removal reasons differently. It doesn't name states, but very low figures such as Louisiana's 3.0% and California's 14.2% may reflect under-recording. The center also notes that states anecdotally report higher shares than the data show. A state study that also used diagnoses, treatment and drug arrest records found 58% of caregivers whose child was removed had an addiction.

The center warns that states record removal reasons differently and that sometimes only the primary reason reaches the federal data. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) · Qualifies
The center says states often report, anecdotally, that the share of removals involving parental alcohol or drug abuse is much higher than the data show. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
In 2015 to 2018, 58% of caregivers whose child was removed had a substance use disorder in the year before the removal, against 27% of all caregivers in child welfare cases. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division

See the evidence: How removal reasons are recorded

“Does a recorded reason mean drugs caused the removal?”

Short answer: Not on its own

Not on its own. The federal field records a condition associated with the removal, and a child can have several. Neglect is recorded more often (61% of 2022 entries), and the two can appear together. The definition does require compulsive drug use that is not temporary, not a single incident. A baby's exposure to drugs before birth is a separate field, recorded as the child's; we can't check how strictly caseworkers keep the two apart for newborns.

Parental drug abuse means the main caretaker's compulsive drug use that is not temporary, recorded as a condition associated with the removal; each reason is its own yes-or-no field. National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect · Qualifies
A child's own drug field covers infants exposed to drugs during pregnancy, separately from the parent's field. National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect · Qualifies
The report notes that a child can have several circumstances. U.S. Children's Bureau · Qualifies
Parental alcohol abuse was recorded for 144 entering children (4%) and neglect for 2,138 (61%). U.S. Children's Bureau · Qualifies

See the evidence: Among new removals: about 4 in 10

“Do these parents get addiction treatment?”

Short answer: At most half did, in 2015 to 2018

At most about half did, in the latest state study. Of parents and other caregivers whose child was removed and who had an addiction, 49% got any Medicaid-paid treatment within a year, in 2015 to 2018. The study calls that a ceiling, because a single visit counted; real engagement was likely much lower. It predates the fentanyl era, and we found no newer state figure.

Of those caregivers with a child removed and an addiction, 49% got any addiction treatment in the 12 months after the removal. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division
The study says its treatment figures are a ceiling, because a single service counted as treatment; real engagement in treatment was likely much lower. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division · Qualifies
Treatment was counted only for caregivers with Medicaid, because only Medicaid-paid treatment was in the data. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division · Qualifies

See the evidence: A state study that also used health and arrest records found 58%

“Is it the same in King County and Seattle?”

Short answer: Lower for older children

Lower for older children, higher for newborns. In King County in 2024, parental drug abuse was a factor for 18.3% of children aged 2 to 17 who were removed, against 27.5% statewide, and for 86.4% of newborns. The dashboard reports counties, not cities, so Seattle isn't shown separately.

In King County in 2024 the share was 18.3% for children aged 2 to 17, below the state's 27.5%, and 86.4% for newborns. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) · Contradicts
The dashboard opens on children aged 2 to 17; for them, parental drug abuse was a contributing factor in 27.5% of 2024 removals. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) · Qualifies

See the evidence: Where the 27% comes from: the state dashboard opens on older children

“Is the share rising in Washington?”

Short answer: Yes, as other cases fell faster

Yes, mostly because other cases fell faster. The share was 43.4% in 2019, 44.5% in 2021 and 51.3% in 2025, while the national figure stayed near 38% to 39%. Children with this factor fell from 5,944 to 4,525 between the 2021 and 2025 tables, but the total in care fell further, from 13,354 to about 8,800. Washington raised its legal bar for removal in July 2023 (the Keeping Families Together Act), and the state agency says removals fell; we didn't measure whether that law explains why other cases fell faster. Earlier editions may use different data versions, so treat the size of the rise as approximate.

The 2019 edition put Washington at 43.4% and the nation at 38.9%. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
The 2021 edition put Washington at 44.5% (5,944 of 13,354 children) and the nation at 39.1%. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
In federal fiscal year 2025, 51.3% of Washington children in foster care (4,525 children) had parental alcohol or drug abuse recorded as a circumstance of removal. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
The national share rose from 18.5% in 2000 to 38% in 2025. National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
The agency says the 2023 law, effective July 1, 2023, is reducing removals. Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) · Qualifies

See the evidence: Federal data: about half of Washington's foster children, against 38% nationally

Conclusion

The claim is true as rated. In federal fiscal year 2025, 51.3% of the children in Washington's foster care system had parental drug or alcohol abuse recorded as a condition of their removal. That is well above the national figure of 38%, and Washington tied for 7th among the 50 states and DC.

The lower figures people quote measure something narrower. Among children newly removed in 2022, parental drug or alcohol abuse was recorded for 42% to 46%. The share among children in care has also risen partly because other cases fell faster: the total in care dropped from 13,354 in the 2021 table to about 8,800 in 2025. The state agency's dashboard opens on children aged 2 to 17, where the share was 27.5% in 2024; for newborns it was 81.8%. A state study's 27% is the share of all caregivers in child protection cases who had an addiction; most of them never had a child removed.

Two cautions keep this from meaning more than it does. A recorded reason is not the only reason: neglect is recorded more often, and the two can appear together. And states record these fields differently, so part of Washington's lead over the national figure may reflect record-keeping. Still, a state study points the same way. It also used diagnoses, treatment and drug arrest records. In 2015 to 2018, it found 58% of caregivers whose child was removed had an addiction. At most about half of them got any Medicaid-paid treatment within a year.

We rate the claim True with high confidence. The figure comes from the federal data every state reports. The state agency's dashboard, drawn from the same case records, shows the same pattern by age. A state study that also used diagnosis, treatment and arrest records, though it too counts removal reasons, found 58%.

How we checked

We defined the claim as whether parental drug or alcohol abuse is recorded as a removal reason for about half of Washington's foster children, using the federal foster care data (AFCARS) that every state reports.
We read the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare's 2025 state table and national series, and its 2019 and 2021 editions from the Internet Archive, and ranked the states.
We read the U.S. Children's Bureau's Washington reports for fiscal years 2021 and 2022 for children newly entering care; reports for other years were not posted at the same address.
We read DCYF's prevention dashboard (Factors tab) for each age group, statewide and for King County, from its hover values, to find where the 27% figure comes from.
We read the state's report 7.121 on addiction and treatment among parents in child welfare, and searched for a newer one without finding it.
We used more than one kind of record. The federal removal data and the state agency's dashboard come from the same case records; a state study that also used diagnosis, treatment and arrest records is the most independent check, though it too counts removal reasons.
A July 2025 DCYF slide deck reportedly gave a 27% figure; it has been taken down from the oversight board's site and we could not read it, so we don't rely on it.

Editorial note: This check covers removal reasons as recorded in federal and state data through 2025, and the latest state study of treatment (2015 to 2018). It does not judge whether removals were justified or whether more or fewer children should be removed. States record removal reasons differently, so comparisons between states are approximate. No external specialist review has been recorded.

Expert-review status

No external specialist review has been recorded.

Funding and conflicts

Funding: No external funding for this piece.

Ownership: Published by the FactHub Research Team.

Conflicts: None known.

Sources 10

Sources are labeled by kind, with what this fact check takes from each, so readers can check the evidence independently.

Government National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW). Parental Alcohol or Drug Abuse as a Circumstance Reported at Removal by State, 2025
A federally funded center's state-by-state table from the foster care data every state reports to the U.S. Children's Bureau.

Reliability: Funded by the U.S. Children's Bureau and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The figures are an analysis of the federal AFCARS foster care file by the Center for Children and Family Futures, which runs the center.
- In federal fiscal year 2025, 51.3% of Washington children in foster care (4,525 children) had parental alcohol or drug abuse recorded as a circumstance of removal.
  
  What the source says
  
  WA 51.30% 4,525
  State table, WA row, p. 2
  
  Not yet checked
- Nationally, 38% of children in foster care in 2025 had parental alcohol or drug abuse recorded at removal (181,620 children).
  
  What the source says
  
  Nationally, 38% of children placed in out-of-home care had parental alcohol or other drug abuse as a circumstance reported at removal in 2025.
  Text under the table, p. 2
  
  Not yet checked
- Qualifies: The figures count every child in out-of-home care at some point during the year, not only children newly removed.
  
  What the source says
  
  Note: Estimates based on all children in out of home care at some point during Fiscal Year
  Note, p. 2
  
  Not yet checked
- The center says states often report, anecdotally, that the share of removals involving parental alcohol or drug abuse is much higher than the data show.
  
  What the source says
  
  States often anecdotally report that the percentage of child welfare removals involving parental AOD abuse is much higher in their state than indicated in the data.
  Text under the table, p. 2
  
  Not yet checked
- Qualifies: The center warns that states record removal reasons differently and that sometimes only the primary reason reaches the federal data.
  
  What the source says
  
  Often, at the local level, multiple removal reasons are reported and sometimes only the primary reason for removal is reported by the federal system(s).
  Text under the table, p. 2
  
  Not yet checked
Government National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW). Prevalence of Parental Alcohol or Drug Abuse as a Circumstance Reported at Removal in the United States, 2000 to 2025
The national share by year from the same federal data.

Reliability: Same center and method as the 2025 state table.
- The national share rose from 18.5% in 2000 to 38% in 2025.
  
  What the source says
  
  has steadily increased from 18.5% in 2000 to 38% in 2025.
  Text under the table
  
  Not yet checked
Government National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW). Parental Alcohol or Drug Abuse as an Identified Condition of Removal by State, 2021 (archived copy)
An earlier edition of the state table, no longer posted on the center's site, used to show how Washington's share has changed.

Reliability: Same center; read from the Internet Archive's copy. Its title says 2021 and its footnote cites AFCARS 2020 data.
- The 2021 edition put Washington at 44.5% (5,944 of 13,354 children) and the nation at 39.1%.
  
  What the source says
  
  WA 44.5% 5,944 13,354
  WA row and national average
  
  Not yet checked
Government National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW). Parental Alcohol or Other Drug Abuse as an Identified Condition or Removal by State, 2019 (archived copy)
The 2019 edition of the state table, used with the 2021 and 2025 editions to show the trend.

Reliability: Same center; read from the Internet Archive's copy.
- The 2019 edition put Washington at 43.4% and the nation at 38.9%.
  
  What the source says
  
  WA 43.4%
  WA row; national average 38.9% under the table
  
  Not yet checked
Government U.S. Children's Bureau. AFCARS state data report for Washington, fiscal year 2022 (preliminary estimates as of May 9, 2023)
The federal agency's summary of the foster care data Washington reports, including the circumstances recorded for children entering care.

Reliability: Prepared by the federal agency that collects the data from every state. Preliminary estimates; the fiscal year 2021 report is at the same address with 2021 in the name.
- Of 3,518 children who entered foster care in Washington in fiscal year 2022, parental drug abuse was recorded for 1,467 (42%).
  
  What the source says
  
  Drug Abuse (Parent) 42% 1,467
  Circumstances Associated with Child's Removal, p. 3
  
  Not yet checked
- Qualifies: Parental alcohol abuse was recorded for 144 entering children (4%) and neglect for 2,138 (61%).
  
  What the source says
  
  Alcohol Abuse (Parent) 4% 144
  Circumstances Associated with Child's Removal, p. 3
  
  Not yet checked
- Qualifies: The report notes that a child can have several circumstances.
  
  What the source says
  
  These categories are not mutually exclusive, so percentages will total more than 100% and counts will be more than the total number of entries.
  Note under the circumstances chart, p. 3
  
  Not yet checked
Government U.S. Children's Bureau. AFCARS state data report for Washington, fiscal year 2021 (preliminary estimates as of June 28, 2022)
The same federal summary for the year before, used to check that the 2022 share of new removals was not a one-year high.

Reliability: Same agency and method as the 2022 report.
- Of 3,849 children who entered care in Washington in fiscal year 2021, parental drug abuse was recorded for 1,511 (39%).
  
  What the source says
  
  Drug Abuse (Parent) 39% 1,511
  Circumstances Associated with Child's Removal, p. 2
  
  Not yet checked
Government Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Prevention Dashboard (version 1.16), Factors tab
The state child welfare agency's dashboard of contributing factors for children entering out-of-home care, by year, age group and county.

Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. The agency that removes children reports on its own cases from its case records. Figures were read from the dashboard's hover values on November 12, 2026; the dashboard was last updated in September 2025.
- Qualifies: The dashboard opens on children aged 2 to 17; for them, parental drug abuse was a contributing factor in 27.5% of 2024 removals.
  
  What the source says
  
  Contributing Factor: Parent Drug Abuse Year of Removal: 2024 Percent of Cases With Contributing Factor: 27.5%
  Factors tab, bar chart, Statewide, 2-17 Year-olds (default)
  
  Not yet checked
- For infants it was 43.2% in 2024.
  
  What the source says
  
  Contributing Factor: Parent Drug Abuse Year of Removal: 2024 Percent of Cases With Contributing Factor: 43.2%
  Factors tab, bar chart, Statewide, Infants
  
  Not yet checked
- For newborns it was 81.8% in 2024, and between 75% and 81% every year from 2017 to 2023.
  
  What the source says
  
  Contributing Factor: Parent Drug Abuse Year of Removal: 2024 Percent of Cases With Contributing Factor: 81.8%
  Factors tab, bar chart, Statewide, Newborns
  
  Not yet checked
- Qualifies: The dashboard uses the federal definitions and lets each removal carry several factors.
  
  What the source says
  
  Percentages total more than 100 because multiple factors can be selected.
  Factors tab, Show Notes
  
  Not yet checked
- Contradicts: In King County in 2024 the share was 18.3% for children aged 2 to 17, below the state's 27.5%, and 86.4% for newborns.
  
  What the source says
  
  Contributing Factor: Parent Drug Abuse Year of Removal: 2024 Percent of Cases With Contributing Factor: 18.3%
  Factors tab, bar chart, County - King, 2-17 Year-olds
  
  Not yet checked
Government Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis Division. Substance Use Disorder Treatment Penetration among Child Welfare-Involved Caregivers (Report 7.121, December 2020)
A state study linking child welfare records to Medicaid treatment and arrest records for 2015 to 2018.

Reliability: The state's own research office, writing for the child welfare agency. It counts addiction from caseworker assessments, removal reasons, Medicaid diagnoses and treatment, and drug arrests; treatment counts cover Medicaid-paid care only.
- In 2015 to 2018, 58% of caregivers whose child was removed had a substance use disorder in the year before the removal, against 27% of all caregivers in child welfare cases.
  
  What the source says
  
  About one-quarter (27 percent) of all child welfare-involved caregivers had SUD in the year prior to their child welfare involvement, while 58 percent of caregivers with a child in out-of-home placement had SUD in the year prior to the child's removal.
  Key Findings, p. 1
  
  Not yet checked
- Of those caregivers with a child removed and an addiction, 49% got any addiction treatment in the 12 months after the removal.
  
  What the source says
  
  Among caregivers with children in out-of-home placement who had SUD, 49 percent received any SUD treatment in the 12 months following the date of the child's removal.
  Key Findings, p. 1
  
  Not yet checked
- Qualifies: Treatment was counted only for caregivers with Medicaid, because only Medicaid-paid treatment was in the data.
  
  What the source says
  
  Only caregivers with at least one month of Medicaid in the 12 months after CPS intake or child removal are included in the calculation because the measure of treatment is limited to Medicaid-funded services.
  Statewide Rates of SUD Treatment Penetration, p. 7
  
  Not yet checked
- Qualifies: The study says its treatment figures are a ceiling, because a single service counted as treatment; real engagement in treatment was likely much lower.
  
  What the source says
  
  SUD treatment penetration figures reported here should be considered a ceiling, with treatment initiation and engagement levels likely much lower.
  Limitations, p. 15
  
  Not yet checked
- Qualifies: The study counted a caregiver as having an addiction from several records, including a removal reason of substance use, so it is not fully separate from the removal data.
  
  What the source says
  
  Caregivers were identified as having SUD if the SDM listed a substance use issue or substance use was a reason for child removal; or the caregiver had an SUD diagnosis, prescription, treatment, or arrest
  Substance Use Disorder Prevalence, p. 4
  
  Not yet checked
Government Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Keeping Families Together Act, Effective July 1, 2023: Quarterly Data Update (January 2025)
The agency's update on removals after the 2023 law that raised the standard for removing a child.

Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. The agency reports on its own carrying out of the law, from its case records.
- Qualifies: The agency says the 2023 law, effective July 1, 2023, is reducing removals.
  
  What the source says
  
  The law is meeting the intended impact of reducing removals
  What we're seeing, p. 2
  
  Not yet checked
Academic National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect. AFCARS Foster Care File Codebook
Definitions of the federal foster care data fields, from federal regulation.

Reliability: Cornell University's federally funded data archive; the definitions quote 45 CFR 1355, Appendix A.
- Qualifies: A child's own drug field covers infants exposed to drugs during pregnancy, separately from the parent's field.
  
  What the source says
  
  Includes infants exposed to drugs during pregnancy.
  #40 Removal Reason-Drug Abuse Child, p. 53
  
  Not yet checked
- Qualifies: Parental drug abuse means the main caretaker's compulsive drug use that is not temporary, recorded as a condition associated with the removal; each reason is its own yes-or-no field.
  
  What the source says
  
  As a condition associated with a child's removal from home and contact with the foster care system, the principal caretaker's compulsive use of drugs that is not of a temporary nature.
  #38 Removal Reason-Drug Abuse Parent, p. 51
  
  Not yet checked
FactHub dataset Parental drug or alcohol abuse in Washington foster care removals
- Tables: states-fy2025
  
  Saved analysis states-fy2025
- Tables: washington-entries
  
  Saved analysis washington-entries
- Tables: dcyf-entries-by-age
  
  Saved analysis dcyf-by-age-statewide
- Tables: treatment
  
  Saved analysis treatment
FactHub chart washington-foster-care-parental-drug-abuse-states
FactHub chart washington-foster-entries-drug-abuse-by-age

Update history 2 changes, last November 12, 2026

November 12, 2026 First version.
November 12, 2026 Reworded the question on new removals to name its year (2022) and softened the inference about later years, noting that a shift toward more newborn removals could raise the overall share (feedback 2516077457958432383-36bc0181088bc59ca8b932ba5676afab, 2516077457964213451-d15601d2e2c78c7d70597d1e0ccdc02b). Said 'aged 2 and up' instead of 'older children' in the 27% question. Retitled the state study's evidence so it doesn't overstate independence (feedback 2516077457961193029-39279374567b95e2e43e34fe42c05239). Split a long sentence in the conclusion.

Feedback these versions applied

Version 2 Skeptic, 3 findings

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Is parental drug or alcohol abuse a reason for half of Washington's foster kids?

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