The numbers of children in foster care are continuing to rise in this country because of the effects that “meth” and other drugs have seemed to have on the lives that they touch. Instead of numbers of foster placements involved with drugs getting better they seem to be skyrocketing. With drugs continuing to be a major problem of our society, the picture of foster care continues to become bleaker every day.

I have written about the effect of drugs to the foster care system and the damage that it does to the children in the past. This caused some people to take exception with what I wrote. I did receive emails explaining drug addiction and how I needed to take that into account. Since this is going to be several different posts, I will address the drug addiction for everyone involved most importantly the children.

Yes, drug addiction is a disease which I think most foster parents and everyone understands. With saying that, it is also a disease by choice as is alcoholism, other addictions, etc. As adults we have the choice to take drugs and allow them to ruin our lives, but the children that are forced to live with the effects of their biological parents’ choice of drugs is not their burden to bear.

I wholeheartedly agree, as do most others that these biological parents need help to overcome their addictions. Their help cannot or should not be at the expense of their children.

You cannot help someone that truly does not want the help otherwise; the cycle will continue to repeat itself. Another reason that foster children have repeated stays in foster care is that the biological parents struggling with drugs will get clean for a couple of months or have a couple of negative drug test and then the children are returned. A few months or maybe a year later Child Welfare is back in the picture because of drug use again causing the children live to in a state of limbo once again.

Continued.....

More reading:

What is the Priority Children or Drugs?

Effects of A Mother's Choices

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