In the year 2017, a reported one in three children entered foster care due to Parental drug abuse. Three years later, Parental drug and alcohol abuse remains a leading reason why children are removed from their homes. The drug and opioid epidemic in the United States continues to fuel a surge in the number of foster care admissions. Unfortunately, children who enter the foster care system due to parental drug or alcohol abuse are more likely to struggle with addiction and substance abuse themselves. Children from substance-using families often experience depression, anxiety, or other mental health symptoms in addition to physical health problems and substance use disorders. One of our goals at Children’s Hope is to provide every child with a permanent, stable living situation and to rebuild the core of the child-adult relationship. This relationship rebuilding is critical in order for a child to develop into a well-adjusted adult.

Children’s Hope is combating drug and alcohol addiction through our residential and foster care services. When a child is removed from their home due to parental drug abuse or alcohol addiction, Children’s Hope is prepared to provide the child with a safe, healthy environment. In order to reduce the likelihood that the child will one day turn to drugs or alcohol, we provide a safe place for children to receive care, nurturing, and mentoring as well as intense individual and group counseling. This relationship-based model of care is used to help children who have been removed from their homes to develop trusting relationships with adults so they have the ability to attach to future caregivers. In time, it is our goal that children are able to see that not all adults are like the situation they were removed from and are able to go on and lead productive, well-adjusted lives.

There are several ways you can get involved at Children’s Hope and help combat drug and alcohol addiction. In addition to providing care and treatment to children who have been removed from their homes due to drug and alcohol abuse, Children’s Hope has a new Adult drug and alcohol treatment center. The center will take anybody looking to recover from substance abuse and will also provide counseling to parents who are learning to cope with their sobriety. This counseling is designed to give parents the tools to better create relationships with their families and provide stable homes for their children. To find out more, visit childrenhp.org today.