Heroin's young victims: More children in foster care due to heroin epidemic

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - More children are being removed from their homes in Ohio than ever before. The numbers have risen by nearly 20 percent since 2009. That translates to about two thousand more children in protective custody on any given day. There’s new evidence that Ohio's heroin epidemic has a lot to do with it. Some people on the front line of child welfare want to know why the state isn't putting more resources into helping those children. Sarah Beal's son was four years old when child protective services placed him with her and her husband. It was his sixth foster home. Taken from parents who were drug abusers, her son had moved through several different foster homes because of his aggressive behavior. “There had been lots of domestic violence disputes between his mother and her husband. He didn't know how to deal with his own aggression, so he displayed what was modeled for him,” said Beal. Thousands of children across Ohio are facing unprecedented challenges because of Ohio's heroin epidemic. “There's no food in the home, the home becomes deplorable, kids aren't going to school. We're seeing children being trafficked for sex or being abused with people coming in and out of the home,” said Director of Hamilton County Job and Family Services Moira Weir. Weir says her workers are dealing with very difficult cases as they carry bigger caseloads than ever before. Weir added, “The things that scare me is not having enough services to meet the needs of our families.”