July 22 marks National Parents Day — when we will honor the dedication and sacrifice of parents across the country. But against the backdrop of the opioid epidemic, this special day appears a little less bright. It’s hard not to think about the thousands of children who have been abused, entered foster care, or are being raised by other family members, as a result of parents addicted to opioids.
Much of the reporting about the opioid epidemic focuses on who is to blame for the crisis and possible public policy solutions, as well it should. But, our society will be managing the collateral damage of the opioid crisis for decades to come — in statehouses and homes across America.
With an estimated 27 million people using illicit drugs or misusing prescription medications in the U.S. each year, more and more children are being forced to find new homes. Sadly, abuse is a real concern when drugs are part of a child’s home life. Hospitals are reporting spikes in the numbers of opioid-addicted newborns, children are witnessing the horror of parental overdoses, and many are living in decrepit circumstances without heat, electricity, or proper meals.
[Also read: Appropriations bill adds $3.7 billion for fighting opioid epidemic]
In fact, between 2012 and 2016, the national foster care system population rose by 10 percent, coinciding with the rise of the opioid epidemic, according to data from the Department Health and Human Services. In West Virginia, which has the highest overdose rate in the country, the foster population has risen by 42 percent since 2014. On National Parents Day, we ought to recognize foster parents for their tremendous contributions.
Similarly, grandparents and other family members often step in to fill the void left by parents struggling with addiction. Today, more than one million American children live with their grandparents, primarily due to the opioid crisis, according to a recent 60 Minutes report. Instead of enjoying the relaxed life of retirement, these older Americans are thrust back into parenthood, in many cases costing them the savings they’ve spent a lifetime building.
As our society grapples with the reality of a growing number of children being raised without their biological parents, helping parents who struggle with opioid addiction get the treatment they need should be paramount. We don’t want to become resigned to the idea that someone who suffers from addiction is permanently disqualified from parenthood. For many, losing their children is the wake-up call that prompts them to seek the help they need. And there’s more we can do to treat these individuals when that time comes.
Like any disease, there are a multitude of treatments for opioid addiction that vary by patient. Some require peer support groups and family therapy, while others require more intensive therapies like FDA-approved methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Our healthcare and justice systems must respect the needs of every patient and treat them equally and holistically.
Recently, there have been news reports of courts requiring parents to discontinue medication-assisted treatments to regain custody of their children. This runs counter to any clinical approach, and common sense generally. Forcing someone to stop using a medical treatment that keeps them off dangerous opioids or synthetic street alternatives is incompatible with the goals of our addiction treatment system.
While the welfare of children should be the foremost consideration in determining custody, when a parent shows they have made real progress toward recovery and possesses the responsibility parenthood requires, their medical needs should not play a role in the decision.
On this National Parents Day, I am thinking about the parents working hard to overcome addiction and the children who await the day they can be reunited in their own homes.
Dr. Michael Genovese is the chief medical officer for Acadia Healthcare.
