NCJ Number
142065
Journal
International Journal on Drug Policy Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (1992) Pages: 204-210
Date Published
1992
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The awareness that significant numbers of drug-abusers in the Netherlands become parents led the government to develop training for therapists and professional helpers of these families to reduce the harm to the children involved.
Abstract
A study conducted between 1986 and 1989 indicated that 5,000 to 7,000 children have drug-abusing parents and that 2,000 to 3,000 of these children are receiving various types of professional care. Analysis of 35 parents and 31 foster families indicated that a surprisingly high percentage of families were doing well in raising their children and that the drug abuse pattern was unrelated to the quality of parent-child interaction. However, some families were doing poorly; their problems included serious neglect, attachment problems, and disciplinary problems. The training for professionals emphasized the early detection of developmental disturbances and risky child care arrangements and focused on consultations in the home. In Rotterdam, a central registration and coordination unit provides case management and aids cooperation among foster and youth care agencies. Workers also perform diagnostic investigations in the families. The finding that family physicians report relatively few families has made the training of drug abuse workers even more necessary. Figures and 6 references