Substance abuse hinders a person's ability to make decisions, and a parent who has these issues may need to seek help while someone else cares for her child. Some parents may lose custody of their child completely, resulting in his placement in foster care or adoption. A parent's past substance abuse can affect the health of her child and his placement with an adoptive family.
Domestic Violence
A parent who abuses drugs or alcohol is more likely to physically abuse and neglect her child than a parent without substance abuse issues, states the Child Welfare Information Gateway. If a child is removed from a home due to domestic violence and placed for adoption, he must still overcome the negative effects of the violence he sustained, which can cause feelings of anger and difficulty with attachment to his adoptive parents.
Health
A child born to a parent who abused drugs or alcohol during pregnancy may suffer long-term effects. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) can occur when a mother ingests alcohol during pregnancy. The condition causes permanent effects such as behavioral disorders and learning disabilities. Drug use during pregnancy can cause low birthweight and an underdeveloped neurological system in a baby.
Termination
A parent may lose custody of his child because of substance abuse. If he is deemed unfit to care for his child because of impaired judgment, a termination of parental rights may be enforced. If the child becomes a ward of the state and enters the foster care system, she becomes eligible for adoption. Parents who undergo rehabilitation for substance abuse may regain custody of a child in certain situations. The law of some states says that if a permanent placement is not found within a specific timeframe, a parent's rights may be reinstated, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Background
Potential adoptive parents must submit to background checks, which ensure that they have no history of illegal activities. A would-be parent with a history of substance abuse or law violations related to drugs may be prohibited from adopting a child. The nature of the crime is taken into consideration, but if a parent is convicted of a felony, such as child abuse, that is the result of drug use, she will automatically be denied permission to adopt.
History
Parents adopting a child from a family with a history of substance abuse need information about the child's background. Adoptive parents should receive a medical history about their child, as well as birth information and notes on the child's drug exposure during pregnancy. Adoptive parents of a substance-exposed child may need services such as early intervention for developmental care, assistance with behavioral issues and special education.
References
- The Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence: The Effects of DV on Children
- Child Welfare Information Gateway: Parental Substance Abuse and the Child Welfare System
- Families.com: State Adoption: Fingerprinting and Criminal Background Checks
- Adoption.com: Adopting a Substance-Exposed Child
- Child Welfare Information Gateway: Grounds for Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights: Summary of State Laws
