Substance abuse plays a large and tragic role in child abuse and neglect cases. However, some believe punitive laws for pregnant women or caregivers can lead to worse outcomes for parents and their children.
We disagree.
Common sense tells us that babies and children are in greater danger of being neglected or abused when caregivers are impaired by highly addictive, mind-altering drugs.
Last December a one-year-old girl, Mi’Vida Vorlicky, ingested her mother’s fentanyl pills and died. Her mother had been reportedly using fentanyl for some time – even while in labor with Mi’Vida at the hospital.
In May a two-year-old girl died of suspected fentanyl poisoning at a Minneapolis shelter. Officers found another child in the apartment as well – along with drugs scattered across the home.
Our own fatality report showed that fentanyl poisoning accounted for nine of the 21 child deaths we reviewed in 2022 and 2023.
A 56-page report was released by the state’s Task Force on Pregnancy Health and Substance Use Disorders. We are concerned that the proposals discourage reporting babies born to parents with significant abuse, including those who are in withdrawal at the time of birth. (The report gives recommendations about Plans of Safe Care, which we believe are inadequate and do not provide accountability. We will address this issue in next week’s blog post.)
We’ve already weighed in on the task force’s recommendations and will be communicating our stance to legislators next year. We should not ignore red flags. And we should wait to intervene until children are in imminent harm.
It’s this simple: Protect these children before it’s too late.