Abstract
El Dorado County’s child welfare agency is facing the challenge of decreasing the rate in which children re-enter the foster care system, to meet the federal standard of 9.9% or less. As a rural community a myriad of factors contribute to the current rate of foster care re-entry at 20.4%, including accessibility of community resources, adequacy of resources, and isolation. The number of placements while in foster care was not a contributing factor to a child re-entering foster care. A questionnaire survey was administered to fifteen professionals working with child welfare clients, in various capacities. Study findings affirm that substance abuse among parents is a key barrier in ones’ ability to parent a child. Findings further affirm that children of parents with social and economic supports are less likely to re-enter the foster care system. A systemic change, as well as providing adequate substance abuse treatment services, and developing a home based service modality, that will allow continued treatment in a families’ native environment, will reduce the rate of children re-entering foster care in El Dorado County.