Earlier this month, a family came forward with reports of their child ingesting methamphetamine at an in-home daycare, with the child thinking they were “onion crumbs.” Luckily, the child survived, but was awake for two days straight in the hospital. Although this incident happened in December, the family recently chose to come forward to share the truth.
As mentioned in the article, the Department of Human Services reported that the terms of a variance were violated. This means the department knew someone had a history of crime and still let them become a daycare worker. The license of the daycare was suspended, but it’s unclear if criminal charges have been filed.
This story is one of seemingly dozens, in which children ingest illegal drugs due to the neglect of the adults in their life. Last month, two parents were charged for the death of their child due to their child ingesting fentanyl on Christmas day. Another case from January involved police being called twice in one day for twins who had ingested fentanyl.
Stories like these are why Safe Passage for Children exists. We have questions. We search for answers.
In our previous Child Fatality Report, we warned the public and legislators about children being collateral in the opioid crisis. We have, unfortunately, continued to see children die from drug exposures or ingestions. Many of them are born addicted from birth. According to state data, at least 400 babies were born addicted in 2023.
We believe the health and safety of children should always be prioritized; this should be reflected in our state’s policies and practices. Without adequate protections, too many children will continue slipping through the cracks.
Safe Passage is advocating not only for data transparency, but also for improvements in our child welfare system. As the only government watchdog group of its kind in Minnesota, we invite you to join us in looking out for kids.