A new report shows a significant increase in the number of Vermont children in protective state custody, such as foster care, in large part due to the opiate epidemic.
The annual report shows the number of young children entering Department for Children and Families custody rose 41 percent from 2012 to 2014, and officials say it is continuing to rise.
The report was released Wednesday at the Statehouse by Building Bright Futures, Vermont's statewide early childhood public-private partnership.
The report also notes some bright spots. Vermont tied with Massachusetts for having the lowest percentage of uninsured children in the country. And the percentage of families living in poverty in Vermont has dropped since 2013.
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