National DEC Awareness Day April 28th
April 28th is National Drug Endangered Children Awareness Day.
In partnership with the United Way of Greater Plymouth County’s Family Center, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office has a federal grant from the Office for Victims of Crime to provide support to children impacted by substance use in their home and to train first responders and schools in trauma-informed practices. The Plymouth County Drug Endangered Children’s Initiative is a subcommittee of the Plymouth County Drug Abuse Task Force.
Drug endangered children live in homes where substance use by adults impacts the child’s care and development. Parental substance use is a significant risk factor identified in the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study. According to the CDC, “ACEs can have lasting, negative effects on health, well-being, as well as life opportunities such as education and job potential. These experiences can increase the risks of injury, sexually transmitted infections, maternal and child health problems (including teen pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and fetal death), involvement in sex trafficking, and a wide range of chronic diseases and leading causes of death such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and suicide.”
The opioid crisis has hit especially hard among 25 to 44 year olds (child rearing age.) There has been a sharp increase in children being raised by their grandparents when the child’s parent struggles with substance use disorder, seeks treatment, or dies from overdose.
Identifying and helping drug endangered children is an important step in breaking the cycles of childhood trauma and substance use.
For more information about the Drug Endangered Children's Initiative visit our website at https://hwc.plymouthda.com/abo...lymouth-county-deci/
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