Amount of Newborns Going through Withdrawal due to Drug Addicted Mothers (alcohol not included)
- From Florida’s Office of the Attorney General. Statewiide Task Force on Prescription Drug Abuse and Newborns. February 2013 Final Report.
http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/RMAS-94LJPF/$file/Statewide_Task_Force_on_Prescription_Drug_Abuse_and_Newborns_Final_Report.pdf
A National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that over 8.3 million children under 18 years of age (11.9 percent) lived with at least one parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol or an illicit drug during the past year (NSDUH Report, April 16, 2009). According to Eckerd Community Alternatives (ECA), the lead agency under contract with the Florida Department of Children and Families to oversee foster care and adoptions for 3,400 children in Pinellas County, 75% of the cases they staff noted substance abuse as a major contributing factor leading to the filing of the dependency petition. Most recently, ECA began to track the number of child removal cases caused directly from the prescription drug epidemic in Pinellas County and statewide. From September 2010 to February 2013, there were 744 child removal cases initiated in Pinellas County due to prescription drug misuse and abuse. In June 2011, the St. Petersburg Times reported that in Pinellas and Pasco counties, calls to the child abuse hot line about parents on pain pills have increased 600% in the past three years (St. Petersburg Times, June 3, 2011). One month earlier, the St. Petersburg Times reported that statewide, an estimated 1,300 new babies were treated for withdrawal in 2010, a 30% increase over 2009 (St. Petersburg Times, May 14, 2011). In 2010, there were 756 dependency petitions filed, 1,788 dependency cases reopened and 114 termination of parental rights cases filed in Pinellas County.
Youth Removals from Homes in Pinellas County
| Month and Year | Total # of children removed | # of children removed due to RX abuse | # of children placed in licensed foster care | Cost of placement in licensed foster care per month | Cost of placement in licensed foster care for 12 months | % of removals due to Prescription Drugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTALS | 2374 | 744 | 345 | $572,715 | $6,870,180 | 31.30% |
| Sep 2010 | 75 | 39 | 12 | $19,800 | $237,600 | 52.00% |
| Oct 2010 | 76 | 26 | 8 | $13,640 | $163,680 | 34.20% |
| Nov 2010 | 53 | 21 | 6 | $9,900 | $118,800 | 39.60% |
| Dec 2010 | 55 | 24 | 7 | $11,935 | $143,220 | 43.60% |
| Jan 2011 | 64 | 17 | 9 | $15,345 | $184,140 | 26.60% |
| Feb 2011 | 57 | 14 | 4 | $6,160 | $73,920 | 24.60% |
| Mar 2011 | 81 | 23 | 6 | $10,230 | $122,760 | 28.40% |
| Apr 2011 | 69 | 23 | 10 | $16,500 | $198,000 | 33.30% |
| May 2011 | 65 | 11 | 3 | $5,115 | $61,380 | 16.90% |
| Jun 2011 | 82 | 27 | 4 | $6,600 | $79,200 | 32.90% |
| Jul 2011 | 64 | 25 | 11 | $18,755 | $225,060 | 39.10% |
| Aug 2011 | 92 | 35 | 13 | $22,165 | $265,980 | 38.00% |
| Sep 2011 | 89 | 38 | 13 | $21,450 | $257,400 | 42.70% |
| Oct 2011 | 90 | 28 | 14 | $23,870 | $286,440 | 31.10% |
| Nov 2011 | 73 | 13 | 7 | $11,550 | $138,600 | 17.80% |
| Dec 2011 | 62 | 11 | 2 | $3,300 | $36,600 | 17.70% |
| Jan 2012 | 73 | 27 | 0 | $0 | $0 | 37.00% |
| Feb 2012 | 33 | 20 | 7 | $11,550 | $138,600 | 60.60% |
| Mar 2012 | 75 | 21 | 5 | $8,250 | $99,000 | 28.00% |
| Apr 2012 | 69 | 15 | 4 | $6,600 | $79,200 | 21.70% |
| May 2012 | 89 | 34 | 9 | $14,850 | $178,200 | 38.20% |
| Jun 2012 | 92 | 35 | 8 | $13,200 | $158,400 | 38.00% |
| Jul 2012 | 96 | 27 | 28 | $46,200 | $554,400 | 28.10% |
| Aug 2012 | 117 | 27 | 28 | $46,200 | $554,400 | 23.10% |
| Sep 2012 | 100 | 27 | 21 | $34,650 | $415,800 | 27.00% |
| Oct 2012 | 137 | 38 | 34 | $56,100 | $673,200 | 27.70% |
| Nov 2012 | 67 | 8 | 10 | $16,500 | $198,000 | 11.90% |
| Dec 2012 | 73 | 16 | 21 | $34,650 | $415,800 | 21.90% |
| Jan 2013 | 105 | 41 | 21 | $34,650 | $415,800 | 39.00% |
| Feb 2013 | 101 | 33 | 20 | $33,000 | $396,600 | 32.70% |
- 31.3% of removals were due to prescription drug misuse and abuse
Youth Removals from Homes in Pasco County
| Month and Year | Total # of children removed | # of children removed due to RX abuse | # of children placed in licensed foster care | Cost of placement in licensed foster care per month | Cost of placement in licensed foster care for 12 months | % of removals due to Prescription Drugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | 1256 | 534 | 262 | $433,950 | $5,207,400 | 42.50% |
| Sep 2010 | 58 | 32 | 10 | $16,500 | $198,000 | 55.20% |
| Oct 2010 | 29 | 20 | 6 | $10,230 | $122,760 | 69.00% |
| Nov 2010 | 28 | 18 | 5 | $8,250 | $99,000 | 64.30% |
| Dec 2010 | 28 | 5 | 2 | $3,410 | $40,920 | 17.90% |
| Jan 2011 | 15 | 3 | 2 | $3,410 | $40,920 | 20.00% |
| Feb 2011 | 22 | 6 | 2 | $3,080 | $36,960 | 27.30% |
| Mar 2011 | 16 | 2 | 1 | $1,705 | $20,460 | 12.50% |
| Apr 2011 | 33 | 6 | 3 | $4,950 | $59,400 | 18.20% |
| May 2011 | 15 | 4 | 1 | $1,705 | $20,460 | 26.70% |
| Jun 2011 | 24 | 19 | 3 | $4,950 | $59,400 | 79.20% |
| Jul 2011 | 20 | 14 | 6 | $10,230 | $122,760 | 70.00% |
| Aug 2011 | 39 | 16 | 6 | $10,230 | $122,760 | 41.00% |
| Sep 2011 | 38 | 19 | 6 | $9,900 | $118,800 | 50.00% |
| Oct 2011 | 38 | 20 | 10 | $17,050 | $204,600 | 52.60% |
| Nov 2011 | 30 | 15 | 8 | $13,200 | $158,400 | 50.00% |
| Dec 2011 | 50 | 19 | Missing | Missing | Missing | 38.00% |
| Jan 2012 | 67 | 31 | 12 | $19,800 | $237,600 | 46.30% |
| Feb 2012 | 77 | 14 | 7 | $11,550 | $138,600 | 18.20% |
| Mar 2012 | 67 | 25 | 4 | $6,600 | $79,200 | 37.30% |
| Apr 2012 | 48 | 19 | 9 | $14,850 | $178,200 | 39.60% |
| May 2012 | 60 | 25 | 11 | $18,150 | $217,800 | 41.70% |
| Jun 2012 | 39 | 24 | 11 | $18,150 | $217,800 | 61.50% |
| Jul 2012 | 66 | 26 | 15 | $24,750 | $297,000 | 39.40% |
| Aug 2012 | 43 | 21 | 15 | $24,750 | $297,000 | 48.80% |
| Sep 2012 | 41 | 13 | 20 | $33,000 | $396,000 | 31.00% |
| Oct 2012 | 29 | 14 | 15 | $24,750 | $297,000 | 48.30% |
| Nov 2012 | 63 | 31 | 26 | $42,900 | $514,800 | 49.20% |
| Dec 2012 | 47 | 19 | 15 | $24,750 | $297,000 | 40.40% |
| Jan 2013 | 68 | 26 | 19 | $31,350 | $376,200 | 38.20% |
| Feb 2013 | 58 | 28 | 12 | $19,800 | $237,600 | 48.30% |
- 42.5% of removals were due to prescription drug misuse and abuse
SOURCE: Eckerd Community Alternatives
Youth Involvement in Child Welfare with Allegations of Substance Misuse
The amount of investigations with allegations of substance misuse or abuse has increased an overall 20.8% from 2008 to 2010 in Pinellas County.
Removal Rate from Home Per 1,000 Children Under 18 Years of Age- All Reasons
SOURCE: JWB Children’s Services Council of Pinellas County
Total Children in Out of Home Care for at least 12 Months but less than 24 Months
Note: Out of home care refers to family foster care, kinship care, treatment foster care, and residential and group care.
- The amount of Pinellas youth placed in out of home care for at least 12 months decreased every fiscal year from 2007-2008 to 2010-2011.
Percent of Children Reunified who Re-enter within Child Welfare System in 12 Months
SOURCE: JWB Children’s Services Council of Pinellas County
Domestic Violence
In conjunction with substance misuse and abuse is the correlation of this problem with domestic violence and its effects on the well-being of children. Appendix G presents the 2011 Fatality Review Team Annual Report by the Pinellas County Domestic Violence Task Force which reviews domestic fatalities in Pinellas County.
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