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Drugs Impacting the Foster Care System
States continue to struggle with the number of foster children in care because of drugs. In Nebraska nearly 2 out of 5 foster children in foster care are there because their biological parents are addicted to methamphetamine. In Georgetown, Texas CPS says that more than half of foster children are in care due to drug and alcohol problems. Drug abuse (“meth” being the prevalent one) has caused eighty percent of foster children to come into care in Idaho. Oregon is facing ninety percent of foster children in care because of their biological parent’s drug abuse. In Payson, Arizona of 2007 ninety-five percent of the foster children were in care due to “meth”. What devastating numbers.
These children are greatly being affected by the choice of their parents doing drugs. More babies are being born exposed and even addicted to drugs leaving them a lifetime of paying the price for someone else’s choices. An infant in Arizona was born with a leg backwards and some internal organs out of the body. These infants can face neurological issues, learning disabilities, and some with very serious lifetime issues. Traditional medications used with different disabilities and other issues may not work with these children. Nobody can say what or how severe the effects of drugs especially “meth” will have on a baby in utero.
Even young children are coming into foster care with “meth” in the system. In Texas three young children (ages: 1, 2, and 3) were placed in foster care after testing positive for “meth”. I fostered a two year old and a newborn, both of them had drugs in their systems. When children living in an area where “meth” is being cooked or used, are at risk of being exposed to the drug themselves since the powder like residue is everywhere. Testing of a foster child’s hair can also be done if there is reason to believe that their exposure of “meth” has been happening over a period of time.
Continued…..
More reading:
Devastating Numbers for Foster Care
Yes! And it isn’t just the exposure to the drugs that are the addiction problem. Parents under the influence engage in behaviors that they MIGHT otherwise not.
Our current foster child has witnessed an orgy in his living room and was even ordered to watch. I am sure all people involved were under the influence. Being subjected to a live sex act IS child abuse and it was reported. He had to go to the police station (which he fears–also a side effect of parents who do drugs) to give a formal statement to investigators.
It was discovered this week that mom also sold his urine to friends who needed to pass drug screenings for their employment. This can be tricky since if you do marijuana or meth your child can test positive as well.
So, really, even though this child was placed as a child of neglect (or even if he had been placed due to the sexual abuse) it all stems from the drug use. So even your percentages above are probably lower than actuality.
Kim