The impact of alcohol and other drugs on the child welfare system.

The Child Welfare League of America surveyed its member agencies on the impact of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) on the delivery of child welfare services. It discovered that the impact is profound and adversely affects the system by compounding problems, such as personnel shortages and shortages in the availability of foster homes, which existed before AOD was identified as a major social problem. Research is needed that more accurately describes the number and characteristics of children and families who enter the child welfare system, that contributes to improved screening and assessment, and that explicates the systemic changes and stresses that result from the impact of alcohol and other drug abuse.