Support Children and Youth Affected by the Substance Use and Misuse Epidemic

The impact of illicit substance use and misuse on children is often hidden until their parents experience an overdose or become unable to take care of them. Many states have experienced significant increases in foster care placements, and neonatal abstinence syndrome has skyrocketed. Living in a home environment with substance use and misuse is often unstable, unsafe, and stressful for children. Exposure to traumatic experiences such as witnessing an overdose or death, incarceration of a parent, or experiencing long-term neglect can cause social, emotional, and physical challenges that last into adulthood. Family bonds are generally weakened by illicit substance use and misuse, as individuals lie or steal from family members, or even become verbally or physically abusive, to get what they need to support their addictions. Further, grandparents and family members caring for affected children often face financial hardships and lack access to services that help address children’s trauma or deal with their own grief and stigma. Given the far-reaching and long-term consequences of illicit substance use and misuse on families, multisector collaborative partnerships among public safety, public health, and behavioral health with systems that support children—child welfare, schools, early childhood programs—are essential to identifying and providing early intervention for children impacted by illicit substance use and misuse and developing interventions that address the needs of the whole family.

COSSUP supports activities that:

• Implement and expand victim services and early childhood programming to help ameliorate the negative impact of illicit substance use and misuse on children.
• Implement and expand victim services that include family-centered treatment options that address the needs of both parents and children to strengthen families.