What happens to kids that live with addict parents?

There is a lot of concern for children in foster care and in the court system, with all of the recent news coverage of issues in that network. Are the kids safe? What will happen to them next? 

One of the things you may not know is as early as birth and up until roughly 5 years of age, a child is developing their core personality and demeanor. If this time period is not okay for the child what happens to them?

Experts in the field of child psychology say kids most of the time will exhibit signs of stress. Stammering when they speak, not eating, won't potty train, nightmares. These are just a few signs.

What causes this stress?

Being exposed to stressful situations. Addict parents are thinking of themselves not the well being of their children. The parents are high and ignore the children's needs. Children react to our moods and situations we put them in.


In the posts to follow I will be talking about what we can do to reverse this terrible trend!

Grandparents struggling to save grandchild

We are in a real crisis!

Florida is ranked third highest in the country for children deaths due to neglect and abuse. Wow, that's something to really be proud of. We were just informed of a recent case happening in Palm Beach. See story below... Unless you have lots of money you cannot fight the system to save your grandchildren from the State of Florida. They will make every effort, no matter what the risk, to give kids back to drug-using parents. It's nearly happened to members of our organization and it could be happening to you. Write and tell us your story.


Plea from a Family in Palm Beach County, FL ...
I need a lawyer and/or advice fast. My 6 year old grandson's father and mother are both drug addicted and extremely violent. We have been taking care of him ever since he was 6 months old and just recently got custody of him. They come over our house when they feel like it and order us around and a couple of times it has gotten physical with my husband. Whenever they come over, they always upset him in his own house and make him feel uncomfortable. The mother has been in jail a couple of times, but is getting more and more addicted to prescription drugs every day. They both doctor shop. They are constantly in and out of jail and even though we have custody of him now, they have been constantly threatening to take us to court and try to take him away from us. If he did go with one of them, I know that he would not live very long. As it is, he is scared whenever they come over that they will take him and actually has panic attacks. I think he is not only scared of them, but is not comfortable with them like he is with us.

There were supposed to be attorneys to help us for no charge, but I have not been able to find any. We have made countless calls to attorney's and to the children services, but everyone tells us that we need a lawyer and money and it is impossible to do it without one. It is crucial to his well-being for us to have him permanently, we just do not know the way to go about that. I am afraid that as my grandson gets older, he will feel like he does not really belong in our family because he is not adopted. I do not want him to feel like he does not belong, because he is a wonderful, loving child. We have had him ever since he was 6 months old, and do not even think of him as my grandson. I think of him as a member of our family and as my own child and I want him to feel the same way about us. I think having him adopted will make this situation permanent, and it will be the best thing for my grandson.