THE NEW ORPHANS

The statistics about the new class of orphans created by the rise of
methamphetamine are grim.

As Herald reporter Genoa Sibold-Cohn reports today, at least 160 of the 250
kids in foster care in Benton and Franklin counties are there because their
parents use meth.

Those parents have helped drive a 62 percent increase in the foster care
population over the last decade. And fewer than 30 percent of meth-addicted
parents regain custody of their children.

As this community knows far too well by now, meth is a scourge that defies
simple solutions. The Tri-Cities, smack dab on a meth trade route, has seen
some of the worst of it. There were 71 meth labs found in Benton and
Franklin counties last year.

The havoc the drug wreaks on users is bad enough. The damage it inflicts on
their innocent children is heinous.

If there is any hope to be had from their stories, it is the power of
parenting.

The foster moms and dads who care for the children of meth addicts face
overwhelming challenges. The amazing thing is that sometimes they succeed
in steering a child toward the kind of successful life that unfortunately
was not that child's birthright.

And the meth users who are able to wrest themselves free of the drug's grip
to regain custody of their kids have beaten incredible odds as well. Meth
abuse is not just horribly hard to kick, the lasting effects like clinical
depression make parenting an even tougher job.

But those who succeed at recovery and at becoming a better parent prove the
capacity of parental love. They, and the foster parents who step in when
parents fail, deserve the community's support.

To the children, we owe perseverance in the fight against meth.