A Judge may order a child be taken into DCF custody if the child has been abused or neglected, is beyond or without parental control or has been adjudicated delinquent. The overall number of children in custody has declined slightly since 2015. The trend line comparison shows the number of children entering DCF custody by age group. The number of children aged 0-5 coming into custody began steadily increasing in 2014. Based on data collected from FSD staff, about 50% of them came into custody because of opioid abuse in their families. Parents using opiates are unable to provide the safety and care their children need. This is especially true for very young children. While still high, the number of children aged 0-5 in custody is starting to decline.