Misuse of drugs or other substances is not of itself a cause of poor parenting To subject all children who are in contact with such misuse to child protection procedures could be counter productive in providing effective help and protection for those in need as it may discourage people from seeking help for their perceived drug misuse problem thus increasing the risk to children.
Different drugs can have different effects, the same drugs can affect people differently and different people manage their drug use differently, so it is not possible to make any generalisations about how taking drugs affects a parent’s capacity to meet the needs of their child. Some drug users, including problematic drug users, ensure their children are looked after, clean and fed, have all their needs met and store their drugs safely; others may be unable to meet their children’s need for basic and safe care.
Problematic parental drug use is characterised by the use of opiates e.g. heroin and crack cocaine, often by injection, and is strongly associated with economic deprivation and other factors that affect parenting capacity and increase the risk of significant harm to the child such as:
- Use of opiates during pregnancy
- Lack of engagement with ante-natal services
- A parent’s practical caring and organisational skills being diminished
- A parent’s mental state or behaviour putting the child at risk of injury, psychological/ emotional distress or neglect
- Poor attachment to the child
- Reduction of money available to the household to meet basic needs
- Domestic violence
- Living in an unsafe environment
- Frequent moves
- Involvement in criminal activities
- Child drawn in to drug taking activities
- Social isolation
- Risk of physical harm to the child if drugs/drugs paraphernalia (e.g. needles) are not kept safely out of reach e.g. Methadone stored in the family ‘fridge
- Child being a passenger in a car driven by a parent or carer who is misusing substances.
- The child assuming a caring responsibility for the parent
- No protective parent/carer within the household
Children are particularly vulnerable when parents are withdrawing from drugs. The withdrawal symptoms may interfere for a while with the parent’s ability to meet the needs of the child and relapses in abstinence are to be expected. Continuing vigilance and support from agencies will therefore be needed.
If professionals become aware of a child or an unborn baby who is under the care of a problematic drug user where the use of drugs is having harmful effects on parenting capacity and may cause the child to suffer or be likely to suffer significant harm, then that professional must make a referral to Children’s Social Care.
