Novel Implementation of State Reporting Policy for Substance-Exposed Infants

Sieger, Margaret H. Lloyd; Nichols, Cynthia; Chen, Shiyi; Sienna, Melissa; Sanders, Marilyn R.

doi:10.1542/hpeds.2022-006562

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 31 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Variation in practice is cause to re-institute the federal Title IV-E waiver process. Connecticut (Sieger et al, 2022) crafted a hospitalbased deidentified notification process to divert infants with prenatal substance exposure, but without safety concerns, away from CWS.…”

Section: Re-institute Waiversmentioning

confidence: 99%

The stark implications of abolishing child welfare: An alternative path towards support and safety

Garcia,

Berrick,

Jonson‐Reid

et al. 2024

Child & Family Social Work

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Scholars and advocates are at odds about how to achieve higher levels of child safety and permanency. Calls for change include the recent upEND focus on eradication of child welfare services to a radical refocusing of the present system towards prevention/early intervention. To clarify the implications of reform over abolition, we seek to portray a future in which the abolition of child welfare has occurred, in juxtaposition to maintaining four core elements of established child maltreatment programmes around the world: (1) receiving and responding to community signals about the risk to children; (2) assessment of need coupled with a proportionate response; (3) rights protections to ensure fairness when placement outside the family is required; and (4) procedures for accountability and quality improvement. For each of these functions, we outline abolitionist advocates' positions and implications for children and parents. Across these elements, we delineate how assigning these responsibilities to communities, as suggested by upEND, would likely (1) exaggerate racial and economic inequities and (2) create structural barriers that would increase harm to children. We suggest several evidence‐informed enhancements to practice, research and policy that would mitigate these inequities while also increasing safety and permanency.

show abstract

Section: Re-institute Waiversmentioning

confidence: 99%

The stark implications of abolishing child welfare: An alternative path towards support and safety

Garcia,

Berrick,

Jonson‐Reid

et al. 2024

Child & Family Social Work

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…We mentioned alternative strategies and the importance of taking them to scale. We also want to point readers to the innovative family care plans being evaluated in Connecticut …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

We Have More Tools to Support At-Risk Families Than Just Child Protective Services With Mandated Reporting—Reply

Dubowitz,

Barth

2024

JAMA Pediatr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

COMMENT & RESPONSEIn Reply We fully agree with Freisthler that there are an array of strategies and tools to protect children; indeed, we never intended to imply that Child Protective Services (CPS) was the only one. The letter creates a misleading strawman.Freisthler asserts that the child welfare system supports systemic and structural racism without addressing the data we cited 1 and without offering any evidence. We fully recognize the terrible toll of all forms of racism throughout our society. However, we were pointing to the important and confounding role of poverty that explains much of the disproportionate rates of children from racial and ethnic minority groups in the child welfare system. We also questioned whether it is reasonable to expect CPS to tackle racism in the broader community.Regarding newborns exposed to opioids, here too we did not suggest the alleged dichotomy of doing nothing vs referral to CPS. Clearly, efforts should be made to facilitate treatment and offer support. We also did not suggest that individuals using opioids are necessarily unfit to parent. Instead, we expressed concern about the well-being and safety of such newborns, given the challenges of accessing and engaging in treatment. In 2021, 94% of individuals with a substance use disorder received no treatment. 2 The role of CPS is to help facilitate treatment and monitor the child's circumstances; it should not simply be viewed as only punitive. 3 As to the specifics of approaching substance misuse, we naturally agree that those taking medication to maintain recovery should not be reported to CPS. We understand the racist practices Freisthler refers to in the health care system, but how these are "magnified within the child welfare system" is unclear. We do agree that medications for opioid use disorder should be more broadly accepted as the intervention of first preference.Freisthler's third point is also puzzling. We certainly recognize that parents with an opioid use disorder may adequately care for their children. That said, not being involved in the child welfare system is hardly an indicator of adequate parenting. We know that much of what happens in families behind closed doors is unknown. Children exposed to harmful substances prenatally are twice as likely as those who are not exposed to be separated from their parents by age 3 years. 4

show abstract

A Comparison of Two Statewide Datasets to Understand Population Prevalence of Substance Use in Pregnancy: Findings and Considerations for Policy & Research

Sieger,

Morin,

Budris

et al. 2024

Matern Child Health J

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Novel Implementation of State Reporting Policy for Substance-Exposed Infants

Cited by 6 publications

References 31 publications

The stark implications of abolishing child welfare: An alternative path towards support and safety

The stark implications of abolishing child welfare: An alternative path towards support and safety

We Have More Tools to Support At-Risk Families Than Just Child Protective Services With Mandated Reporting—Reply

A Comparison of Two Statewide Datasets to Understand Population Prevalence of Substance Use in Pregnancy: Findings and Considerations for Policy & Research

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About