Objective: This study examines permanency outcomes of families with children in foster care who participated in a comprehensive service-delivery program designed to assist families and communities in dealing with alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems. Method: Survival analysis is used to measure the impact of program participation on family…

Explored the impact of caregiver alcohol and other drugs (AOD) use on child protective services (CPS) case substantiation: cases with indications of AOD use were more likely to be substantiated than those without. Compared CPS-involved and non- involved women in AOD treatment; increasing numbers of children and younger maternal ages are risk…

Analyzed data from a cross-site evaluation of 24 federally funded residential treatment projects for substance-abusing pregnant and postpartum women with children. Found benefits at 6 months of treatment included improvements in infant mortality and morbidity, treatment retention and completion rates, and behavioral changes in participating…

An estimated 11 percent of American children live with at least one parent who abuses or is addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. Parental addiction is a significant factor in child abuse and neglect, with studies suggesting that 40 to 80 percent of families in the child welfare systems are affected by it. With appropriate treatment, many of these…

Synthesizes articles in this special issue, highlighting the increasing public policy response to connecting child welfare and substance abuse services that will simultaneously serve children and their families affected by substance abuse. Considers challenges faced by these cooperative efforts, including the need to improve administrative data,…

SafePort is a residential substance abuse treatment program within public housing to provide drug treatment to parenting women in Key West, Florida. All family members--women, children, and significant others--receive comprehensive assessments to determine appropriate therapeutic interventions. Preliminary evaluation findings suggest that women…

Describes the development, implementation, and replication of a group-based parenting program for families affected by substance abuse, called the Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery in Massachusetts. Highlights early evaluation results showing that the program improves parenting and enhances parents'…

Summarizes and analyzes the following issues in developing policy to address the problems of drug-exposed infants: (1) degree of harm; (2) identification; (3) interventions; (4) needs assessment; (5) child protection; and (6) drug treatment. Significant interventions, including expanded prenatal care and drug treatment programs, are proposed. (SLD)

A case example involving a Native American family referred to a child welfare agency illustrates social work intervention strategies that encourage cultural competence, recognize power differences between cultures, promote understanding of role variations and belief systems, consider alternative approaches for helping clients with drug or alcohol…