Medicating Foster Care Children with Psychotropic Drugs: An Examination

Foster children, often being removed from neglectful or abusive homes, are one of the country’s most vulnerable populations. With the often traumatic circumstances that define their early lives, it is no wonder studies show their tendency for more mental health conditions than other children. Facing these and other significant challenges surrounding foster care programs, state authorities, caseworkers, and parents, are given few options on appropriate treatments. These options often include prescribing heavy-duty psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants and, in some cases, even antipsychotics – drugs which have little research available supporting their use in children. This book examines the practice of medicating America’s foster children with a focus on the financial and societal costs.