More US kids in foster care; parental drug abuse a factor

NEW YORK (AP) - New federal data shows the number of U.S. children in foster care has increased for the fourth year in a row, with substance abuse by parents a major factor.

The annual report from the Department of Health and Human Services was released Thursday. It counted 437,500 children in foster care as of Sept. 30, 2016, up from about 427,400 a year earlier.

The peak was 524,000 children in foster care in 2002. The number dropped steadily to about 397,000 in 2012 before rising again.

Health and Human Services says parental substance abuse was a factor in 34 percent of the 2016 cases in which a child was removed from home, up from 32 percent a year earlier. About 92,000 children were removed from home because at least one parent had a drug abuse issue.