Philadelphia ? A 5-year-old has been removed from his school and placed in foster care after his teacher found eight bags of heroin in the kindergartner’s pocket.

The incident prompted a letter home Tuesday to parents whose children attend Richmond Elementary School.

The letter from principal Dr. Anthony Ciampoli did not explain why school officials waited so long to tell parents about the incident, which occurred Oct. 25.

The letter was sent home after a story about the incident aired on a local TV station.

The incident is under investigation, and the 5-year-old’s mother could be charged, police spokesman Inspector William Colarulo said.

Neither the child nor any of his classmates at the school, which has 730 students, was harmed by the drug, said schools spokesman Fernando Galliard.

The boy and his three siblings were turned over to the city’s Department of Human Services.