By Associated Press
Frankfort, KY – A newspaper's review of recently released records found that substance abuse is often a factor when children in Kentucky are neglected or abused. The Lexington Herald-Leader reviewed files released Monday by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services on 85 child deaths and near-deaths in 2009 and 2010. The newspaper found that in about 59 percent of the cases, the files included information about suspected or confirmed substance abuse by the child's caregiver. A judge ordered the cabinet to release the records after a lawsuit. However, the names of many children and caregivers were redacted before the files were released.