The Alliance for Children and Families' Recommendation:
* Support
the Child Protection/Alcohol and Drug Partnership Act, S. 614.
Issue Background
In a field where difficult and life-changing decisions are made every day, child welfare workers confront particular predicaments when working with the extremely troubled families whose complex and multiple problems include both child maltreatment and substance abuse.
Substance
addiction devastates the lives of hundreds of thousands of American children
and their families each year. The number of children in the United States child welfare system with family
backgrounds of substance abuse is staggering, and the systems of services and
supports designed for adult substance abusers rarely take into account the
impact on or the needs of the children in the home.
A major
factor in child abuse and neglect, substance abuse has been associated with the
placement of at least half of the children in the custody of child welfare.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that substance abuse may be an issue for as many as
90 percent of parents with children in the child welfare system.
Substance
abuse has become a particularly troubling issue in child welfare since the
enactment of the Adoption and Safe Families Act in 1997 (P.L. 105-89), which
set new timeframes for permanency planning and decision making.
The
Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 expedites decision making for children
who come to the attention of the child welfare system and makes the
consideration of child safety, well being, and permanence paramount in the
process. States are now required to initiate proceedings to terminate the
parental rights of parents whose child has been in foster care for 15 of the
most recent 22 months, unless there is a compelling reason not to do so.
Given the
accelerated ASFA timelines, substance addiction problems among child
welfare-involved families pose significant challenges for child welfare
professionals. Central to their challenge is that addiction to alcohol and
other drugs can be a chronic and relapsing disorder and recovery can be a
long-term process. At the same time, children have an immediate need for safe
and stable homes in which to grow up.
The ability
of child welfare agencies to address client substance abuse problems depends on
the responsiveness of many systems that need to work together. This requires
strengthening the connection between the child welfare system and the addiction
services system and improving the interaction between professionals working in
these communities. The Alliance for Children and Families is
collaborating with the Child Welfare League and other organizations to advance
this legislation's prospects.
Child Protection/Alcohol and Drug Partnership Act
The Child
Protection/Alcohol and Drug Partnership Act, first introduced in the 106th
Congress, was reintroduced March 13, 2003 in the 108th session (S. 614) by
Olympia Snowe and co-sponsors Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Maria Cantwell (D-WA),
Susan Collins (R-ME), Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Mike DeWine (R-OH), Mary Landrieu
(D-LA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and has been referred
to the Senate Finance Committee.
The bill
would provide $1.9 billion over five years to state child welfare and substance
abuse agencies that agree to collaborate to develop and increase treatment
services, establish appropriate screening and assessment tools, or improve
strategies to engage and retain parents in treatment. Funding may also be used
to provide aftercare support. The activities must be directed to families with
substance abuse problems that come to the attention of the child welfare
system.
Funds would
be distributed to states based on the number of children age 18 and under who
reside in that state, with a minimum grant for small states to ensure each state
receives sufficient funding to develop useful activities. Three to five percent
of the funds would be set aside for grants to tribal governments; another 2%
would be reserved for grants to the U.S.
territories. To encourage state investments, a state match of 15% would be
required for the first two years, 20% for years three and four, and 25% for the
fifth year. The match may be modified in special circumstances.
State child welfare and alcohol and drug agencies would have the flexibility to decide how best to use these funds to improve treatment. They could use them to develop or expand comprehensive, individualized alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment services that include:
preventive and early intervention services for children that address their mental, emotional, and developmental needs
prevention and early intervention services for parents at risk for substance abuse problems
comprehensive home-based, outpatient, and residential treatment options
aftercare support for families in recovery that promotes child safety and family stability
services and supports that promote parent-child interaction and focus on all family members, not just children or parents individually
Agencies could also use the funds to increase their capacity to meet these families' needs by jointly training child welfare and substance abuse treatment staff, improving systems to track progress in these families, and promoting evaluation. The legislation holds states accountable for demonstrating the progress they make with these funds.