Opioid Impact on Children Focus of House Hearing, Watson Says
HARRISBURG – The impact of the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania is not only affecting babies born dependent on the powerful substance but also on the child welfare system, members of the House Children and Youth Committee learned during a public hearing at the state Capitol on Wednesday, said Rep. Kathy Watson (R-Bucks/144th), chairman of the committee.
“Pennsylvania is one of the hardest-hit states in terms of the opioid epidemic plaguing our communities with tragic consequences,” Watson said. “The impact on infants and children is often overlooked, but it’s just as real. Babies are born dependent on the drug, even if the mother seeks help for treatment, and in many instances, once the babies are home, parents abusing drugs are unable to properly care for their children.”
Fatalities and near-fatalities of infants and young children have been linked to parental substance abuse. Cases of child abuse and neglect linked to parental substance abuse are increasing, as are the number of children being removed from their homes and placed in protective custody because of the parents’ drug addiction.
Between 2010 and 2014, more than 7,500 infants in Pennsylvania who were born onto Medicaid were diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) after their mothers had used heroin or prescribed opioids during pregnancy. Sixty-one of those infants died before reaching their first birthday. Of the 1,400 infants in Pennsylvania who were removed from their homes and placed in protective custody in 2014, 817 of them (56 percent) had parental substance abuse as a contributing factor in their placement.
Testifying Wednesday were health care professionals, child welfare experts at the state and local levels, and a child welfare advocate.
From a medical standpoint, two physicians and a pediatric nurse testified about the impact on babies born to mothers using opioids, the intense care needed for the baby and the mounting challenges and risks for the infant once they leave the hospital.
The demands on the county child welfare system continue to grow throughout this crisis, experts testified, because parents abusing opioids are often unable to take care of themselves, let alone their children.
A multi-faceted approach among numerous fields – health care, human services, corrections and education – is needed to properly stem the tide of abuse and direct resources where they are most needed.
In doing so, Watson is sponsoring
House Bill 2345 to establish a task force to focus on the impact this opioid abuse epidemic is having on children. She believes that a task force of this nature – much like the one created several years ago to study child abuse in Pennsylvania – can bring together the cross-section of fields affected by this crisis. The task force would focus its efforts to improve the safety, well-being and permanency of substance-exposed infants and other young children adversely affected by their parents’ substance abuse disorders.
“We have a responsibility to protect these children,” Watson said. “If we do not take care of these children now, the costs will be far greater in the future.”
Wednesday’s hearing preceded a joint session of the General Assembly where Gov. Tom Wolf addressed lawmakers about the epidemic and state efforts to tackle the issue.
Representative Kathy Watson
144th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jennifer Keaton
717.705.2094
jkeaton@pahousegop.com
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