FEB. 3,
___________ ________ ¡Tip? tJortlnub (ftberrurr
No Safe Haven: Children of
Substance Abusing Parents
B y K ay T oran
The death o f 3-year-old Tesslyn
O ’Cull was described by some legal
experts as the worst murder-torture
case in the history o f Oregon. Two
people have been charged with the
crim e: one was sen ten ced to
Oregon’s death row late last year
and the other, her mother, is on trial
now.
For Tesslyn, there was no safe
haven in a place where violence,
drugs and alcohol reigned. Although
this case is an extreme example,
parents in the grip ot alcohol or
other drugs have an addiction that
competes with their love for their
children More than most other cir­
cumstances that cause or contribute
to child maltreatment, substance
abuse strips a parent o f the ability to
protect and nurture children.
A landmark report, “No Safe Ha­
ven: Children of Substance Abusing
P a re n ts,”
from
C o lu m b ia
University’s Center on Addiction
and Substance Abuse describes these
children as endangered.
According to the report, “There
is no safe haven for these abused and
neglected children of drug-and-al-
cohol abusing parents. They are the
most vulnerable and endangered in­
dividuals in America.”
The survey found that when U.S.
children are abused or neglected,
their parents are likely to be drunk
from alcohol, high on drugs such as
cocaine or marijuana, or suffering
hangovers and withdrawal symptoms
that come after a binge. Children
whose parents abuse drugs and alco­
hol are almost three times likelier
to be abused and more than four
times likelier to be neglected, ac­
cording to the report.
For the past 10 years, drug and
alcohol involvement has been the
number-one reason children in Or­
egon have been removed from their
homes and placed in foster care. For
the period 1995 to 1997, 65.6 per­
cent o f the children entering foster
care did so as a result o f parental
alcohol or other drug abuse.
The State Office for Services to
Children and Families studied more
than 3,700 cases where children had
been removed from their homes
because o f abuse. The Study found
that alcohol and drug problems are
pervasive in families o f abused and
neglected children and that sub­
stance abuse is a substantial barrier
to these children returning home.
One-third o f children remain in fos­
ter care because o f parental alcohol
or other drug problems.
Such problems have forced a shift
in the way child protection profes­
sionals deliv er services. O ver­
whelmed by the number and the com­
plexity of cases, child welfare work­
ers struggle to protect children while
juggling investigations, foster care
placements and permanent custody
decisions.
Parental substance abuse prob­
lems permeate every part o f the so­
cial services system. Promoting pre­
vention efforts and providing treat-
ment for substance-abusing parents
gives children the chance to reunite
safely with their biological fami­
lies, protects other children, and
minimizes costs in child welfare
agencies and health, education and
social service programs.
The national report calls for more
funding for substance abuse treat­
ment and concludes: “The best hope
o f a safe haven for these children is
to prevent alcohol and drug abuse by
their parents.”
The G overnor’s recommended
budget includes $20 m illion for
alcohol and drug prevention and
treatm ent services. As a result
there will be increased capacity
for parents o f children in foster
care to participate in treatm ent
programs.
Our children can’t wait. Every
child has the right to a safe, stable
and drug-free home. Without a con­
certed effort from our communi­
ties, schools, churches and govern­
ment, the tragedy o f parental sub­
stance abuse continues and children
pay the exorbitant price.
Kay Toran is the director o f the
State Office for Services to Chil­
dren and Families in the Oregon
Department o f Human Resources.
Row House Project Caught In
Neighborhood Agency Feud
«
C ontinued F rom F ront
P e rh a p s n o t c ru c ia l, b u t c e r­
ta in ly n o t h e lp in g , are c h a n g e s
w ith in H O F . G re tc h e n D u rsch ,
its firs t e x e c u tiv e d ire c to r, r e ­
sig n e d la st y e a r sh o rtly b e fo re
th e b ir th o f h e r fir s t c h ild .
W ilie r, w ho h a s fille d th e p o st
sin c e la st A u g u st, w ill leav e
s h o rtly to ta k e a jo b w ith the
P ortland O rganizing Project. She
w ill b e re p la c e d te m p o ra rily by
Jo an M ig g in s w h ile a p erm an en t
re p la c e m e n t is so u g h t.
L ongtim e B oise activist D iane
F a rm e r-L in k h a rt fe e ls H O F has
b e c o m e to o g re a t an in flu e n c e
in th e c o m m u n ity , to th e p o in t
o f b e in g “ th e ta il w a g g in g the
d o g .” In p re s e n tin g th e F argo
p ro je c t, she sa y s, “ T he a ttitu d e
seem ed to b e, ‘W e ho p e yo u like
th is b e c a u se w e ’re g o ing to do it
anyw ay.’”
T h ere have also been changes
in b o th people and outlook w ithin
th e B oise A sso ciatio n . A t one
tim e, according to form er m em ­
b e rs, the group felt an oblig atio n
to p rovide lo w -co st h o u sin g to
co u n ter the rising cost o f living in
th e area. C urrent m em bers q u e s­
tio n this approach, and feel the
area now has m ore than its share
o f such facilities. B row n and co-
c h a ir T od L undy both say they
w ould rather the Fargo row houses
b e sold to low -incom e people.
L u n d y n o te s th a t fo u r m e m ­
b e rs o f the H O F b o a rd , p r e v i­
•
1
. J
ix l_
— J
ously un involved w ith n e ig h b o r­
h o o d a ffa irs , a tte n d e d a re c e n t
B oise m eeting. “ I w as im pressed
o ir
by f i Y th
e ir C sta te m e n ts, and they
p ro m ise d to c o n tin u e a tte n d in g
o u r m e e tin g s ,” he say s.
H o n o r in g B la c k H is to r y
M o n th
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