ORANGE COUNTY PROGRAM HELPS RESCUE CHILDREN FOUND AT DRUG-MAKING SITES

Throughout The Country, The Children--aged 5,6,9 And 11--were Sent To
Social Workers, Not Ignored By A System That Critics Say Often Pays More
Attention To Criminals Than Victims., Louise Roug, Special To The Times

When police investigators served a search warrant at a Santa Ana trailer
park recently, they found more than a methamphetamine lab. Behind a sheet
that doubled as a curtain, under the dining room table, they found four
sleeping children.

Under a pilot program started in Orange County three years ago and now
being copied "It's a holistic view of law enforcement," said Walter Allen,
special agent of the California Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotic
Enforcement. "We are taking more of an interest in what happens to the
children who live in this environment."

Because of the Drug Endangered Children Team, children found in homes where
drugs are present get medical tests. Officials said the tests often
indicate methamphetamine in the children's systems from longtime exposure
to chemicals used in the drug trade. Investigators look at crime scenes on
their knees, to see how accessible drugs are to the children.

In the past, only children who showed clear signs of health troubles were
given special care, said Paul Haas, an investigator for the Anaheim Police
Department. Now all children found in these conditions receive medical
checks and emotional counseling, he said.

Specially trained social workers accompany police on raids so they can
quickly tend to any children at the scene.

The pilot program is continuing to operate in Orange, Los Angeles and five
other counties, although Gov. Gray Davis recently vetoed a bill proposing
$10 million in state general funds to expand it. Orange County officials
say they will shuffle their resources in an effort to extend the project.

More than 130 children in Orange County have been aided by the program,
including 31 this year. In 10 cases where both parents were not involved in
drugs, children were returned to their families after extensive parenting
classes.

Los Angeles County's pilot program is limited to the San Gabriel Valley.
Last year, officials provided special services to 86 children and expect
the number to rise this year. In one case, investigators came across a
6-year-old Pasadena boy who had to help his father escape a fire caused by
the family's methamphetamine lab.

"This is a quantum leap for a cop. I've really learned that we're doing
this for the kids. They are getting the short end of the stick. We are
dealing with them, trying to get them a better deal," Haas said.

Methamphetamines, also known as speed or crank, can be eaten, snorted,
smoked or injected. Those who take the drug feel potent and strong although
the body actually reacts more slowly. While cocaine ruled the drug world in
the 1980s, meth has become so popular that "street people say you have to
special order cocaine. Coke is just not on the streets anymore. And every
speck of meth comes from a lab," Haas said.

Last year, 111 meth labs were raided in Orange County. This year, 95 have
been raided, Allen said.

The labs often are no more than a kitchen counter or a bathroom sink.
Making the drug requires mixing toxic chemicals, often in tight quarters
near where children sleep and play. Hydrochloric acid, iodine and gasoline
are often used to make the drug in a microwave or on a stove top. Fires
often get out of control.

"These are not people who work for Dow Chemical," Haas said of the meth
makers. "They are messy. They are anxious. They are not neat."

The four children pulled from the Santa Ana trailer all tested positive for
drugs. One told investigators he was frequently asked to bring chemicals
from a tool shed. Chemicals were regularly dumped in the backyard where
they played. The family bathroom and kitchen were often used in the
process. The 9-year-old told police he was looking forward to going to
Orangewood Children's Home because he would get his own bed, officials
said. The children subsequently were moved to a foster family home.

The father was charged with manufacturing meth and with endangering a
child. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Officials would not release his name or that of other parents because they
want to protect the identities of the children.

Investigators say they can't forget scenes they've witnessed: * A baby
whose crib toys tested positive for the drug. * A child who ate chicken
from the family refrigerator where every item tested positive for meth. * A
7-year-old who showed police how to cook meth.

"We're talking about [parents] who can't even take care of themselves, and
they're manufacturing these dangerous drugs," said John Allen Ramseyer, a
Los Angeles deputy district attorney who prosecutes such cases. Wendy
Wright, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of San Diego who has worked
with the program since its inception, said the exact effects of
methamphetamine on children are unknown.

"Methamphetamine in a child can be quite harmful if they ingest too much.
The problem is no one knows how much is too much. They can have seizures,
heart problems," she said.

Children who are regularly exposed to meth smoke and dust could be
vulnerable to learning and developmental disabilities, she said.

Several police agencies were surprised when the governor rejected the $10
million in additional funding for the program. Steve Maviglio, spokesman
for Gov. Gray Davis, said the governor thinks the program is commendable,
but "it was $10 million that did not go through the traditional budget
process. While the governor thinks the program has merit, he believes it
also should go through the budget process to compete against other programs
with merit."

In the meantime, officials in Orange County and other counties, including
San Diego and Butte, are scrambling to put other funding in place.

"We are committed to this program," said Jyothi Atluri, an Orange County
Social Services Agency supervisor. "If we don't get funding, we will still
use our workers to help."