NCJ Number
187327
Date Published
2000
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This manual provides resources and suggests actions that individuals and community organizations can take to start or further efforts to raise awareness about the effects of alcoholism and drug abuse on parents and children and to create opportunities for linkages between the child welfare system and drug prevention and treatment systems.
Abstract
The manual also provides information to help educate local policymakers on how drug treatment is cost-effective and benefits the entire family, to encourage interagency cooperation, and to support local efforts in moving parents from welfare to work. The discussion notes that more than 9.6 million children live with a parent who abuses alcohol or is drug dependent. Parental risk factors are disproportionately high among women who have low incomes or are receiving welfare. Welfare recipients acknowledge that addiction is a significant barrier to self-sufficiency. In addition, 50 percent of out-of-home placements of children occur because the parents have drug problems. Communities across the country are implementing various approaches to working with children and parents to create healthier families. The national demonstration program called Free to Grow offers several promising models of family and community partnerships that use Head Start organizations as the lead agencies. In addition, materials and resources are available on preventing drug use among children and adolescents and on research-based principles of drug treatment. Furthermore, four conferences will aid understanding of the impact of drug abuse on families. Lists and descriptions of resource organizations and publications