They felt like zombies. Sluggish. Trapped. Who was looking out for foster youth prescribed heavy doses of psychotropic medications? In March 2025, The Imprint began publishing “Medicated in Foster Care,” a five-part examination of policies and practices around the use of mental health drugs to treat children and youth in the child welfare system.
The Imprint’s investigation revealed that states across the country have failed to properly monitor and curtail the heavy, haphazard reliance on psychiatric medication prescribed to foster youth. This carefully reported series featured deep policy research, interviews with dozens of child welfare and health experts, and the unfettered perspective of youth who have experienced the system.