NCJ Number
143419
Date Published
1990
Length
60 pages
Annotation
Forty-one California counties, representing 93 percent of the total live births in the State in 1988, responded to a survey on the prevalence of drug-exposed infants; 35 counties provided information about the number of referrals made to Children's Protective Services (CPS) units for babies born with positive toxicology screens.
Abstract
These 35 counties identified 6,358 drug-exposed newborns who were referred; this represents approximately 11 percent of the estimated 72,000 babies born in California in 1988 with prenatal exposure to drugs, including alcohol. Overall, survey responses indicated that testing and reporting procedures for drug-exposed infants are varied across the State. Many babies who test positive for drug exposure are not reported to CPS; as a result, they and their mothers do not receive social services including risk assessment, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, case management, counseling, or transportation. Hospital policies on drug testing of mothers and infants vary within hospitals, within counties, and among counties. Hospital and county protocols on reporting to CPS also vary; only two-thirds of public hospitals and half of private hospitals report positive toxicology results to CPS. Counties reported an overwhelming need for foster parents, especially for those trained to deal with drug-exposed infants. Barriers to placing drug-exposed infants at home were identified as lack of mother's willingness to cooperate with treatment, lack of available drug-treatment services, lack of transportation and other support services, and housing problems. 7 appendixes