Fact: Parental Substance Abuse Puts Kids at Risk
Drug and alcohol use is a major problem in Minnesota. It’s also a major risk factor for child maltreatment.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the rate of neonatal abstinence syndrome in 2022 was 7.3 per 1,000 live births – the highest in a 7-year period. However, only 1,400 children were removed from their home from caretaker drug use in 2022 – the lowest in a 7-year period.
As the Star Tribune noted its four-part series titled “In Harm’s Way,” pregnancy and birth can be key moments for intervention. However, a patchwork of approaches in Minnesota leads to many children falling through the cracks.
Three years ago, state lawmakers loosened mandatory reporting requirements, exempting health care and social service professionals from making a mandated report as long as a pregnant woman continues to receive services.
Medical organizations point to studies that suggest pregnant mothers are less likely to seek the care and treatment they need if there is a risk they will be reported and punished.
However, this approach allows children to remain in dangerous environments and at higher risk of abuse, neglect or even death.
Of 88 child fatalities reviewed by Safe Passage for Children that occurred between 2014 and 2022, well over half involved caregivers who had a history of substance abuse.
The Minnesota Department of Health has convened a task force to submit recommended protocols for medical providers to know when to administer a toxicology test in addition to requirements for reporting prenatal exposure to a controlled substance.
We plan to evaluate these recommendations from a child-centered lens. Yes, the state needs to help pregnant mothers overcome their addictions, but it also needs to recognize the red flags that could be putting children in imminent danger.