In New Hanover County alone, which has an estimated population of about 220,000 people, more than 1100 kids are served by programs through the Brigade Boys and Girls Club. Two-and-a-half years ago, 352 children were in the foster care program in New Hanover County. Today, the number is closer to 450 – with county staff reporting an across-the-board increase over the last year-and-a-half. When we last addressed this topic more than two years ago, officials could not clearly identify the reasons