Children, youth, and families who come to the attention of child welfare may also be affected by substance use disorders. Use the following resources to explore best practices for working with these families and learn how States and jurisdictions are engaging families impacted by prenatal alcohol and other substance exposure.
Creating Safe Care: Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Patients Who Use Drugs (PDF - 15,429 KB)
Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers & Vital Strategies (2022)
Presents best practices for providers serving pregnant and parenting patients affected by substance use disorders and offers a framework for child welfare workers to help prevent family separation and unnecessary substance use reporting, which disproportionality affects low-income families and families of color.
HRSA’s Home Visiting Program: Supporting Families Impacted by Opioid Use and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (PDF - 451 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (2018)
Highlights promising home visiting efforts to support families impacted by neonatal abstinence syndrome in several jurisdictions, including Maine, Colorado, West Virginia, and Massachusetts.
Pennsylvania Plan of Safe Care Guidance (PDF - 1,006 KB)
Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, & Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (2019)
Presents guidance for child welfare and related professionals in Pennsylvania on the development of plans of safe care to address the needs of children and families affected by substance exposure.
Policy Brief: Plans of Safe Care to Support Families Impacted by Perinatal Substance Use Disorders: Data-Informed Recommendations for Cross-System Policy and Practice Investments (PDF - 630 KB)
Everson & Clemens (2021)
University of Denver, Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab
Provides recommendations on how Colorado can expand and effectively use plans of safe care to help prevent and treat perinatal substance use disorders.
Project Nurture Integrates Care and Services to Improve Outcomes for Opioid-Dependent Mothers and Their Children
McConnell, Kaufman, Grunditz, Bellanca, Risser, Rodriguez, & Renfro (2020)
Health Affairs, 39(4)
Outlines Project Nurture, a program used in Oregon to integrate maternity care with substance use treatment to provide services for opioid-dependent mothers and their families.
Tribal Child Welfare Systems’ Experiences With Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Other Drugs: A Case Study
Day, Geary, Ingoldsby, & Ahonen (2021)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau
Shares findings from a study on working with families affected by prenatal alcohol and other substance exposure in Tribal child welfare systems in Minnesota. The results showed the need to enhance services for pregnant mothers and infants.
What Are Infant Plans of Safe Care and Some Examples of State Responses to Infants Affected by Substance Use?
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Explains plans of safe care, which are being used to improve outcomes for children and families affected by substance use disorders. The article provides examples of how agencies in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia are working to support families.