STUDY LINKS DRUG USE TO CHILD ABUSE

WASHINGTON (AP) Parental drug and alcohol abuse is largely
responsible for a surge in child abuse and neglect, according to a
report that urges more government spending to treat addicted parents.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse said in its
report Monday that providing treatment for addicted parents would
reduce the need to remove children from their families.

The study notes that the number of child welfare cases has more than
doubled over 10 years, from 1.4 million in 1986 to more than 3 million
in 1997. The problem costs society billions of dollars each year, the
authors say.

"Child abuse walks hand in hand with drug abuse and alcohol abuse,"
said Joseph Califano, the center's president and a former secretary of
Health, Education and Welfare. "If we're serious about doing something
about child abuse and neglect, we better get serious about alcohol
(and drug) abuse."

The report outlines the challenges of the child welfare system,
particularly the large number of cases that workers and judges must
handle and the lack of money available for drug and alcohol treatment.

It includes results from a survey of 915 professionals who work in the
child welfare system. The survey found that 71.6 percent cited
substance abuse as one of the top three causes of the rise in
reported cases of child abuse and neglect, followed by better
reporting and poverty.

At the same time, just 5.8 percent of respondents said there was no
wait for parents who need inpatient treatment; only 26 percent said
there is no wait for outpatient treatment.

The Child Welfare League of America, which represents child welfare
workers, agreed with the report's premise. Its research estimates that
40 percent to 80 percent of parents in the system have a drug or
alcohol problem, depending on the community.

"It's a really serious problem for us," said David Liederman, the
group's executive director. "We need targeted money to child welfare
for drug treatment."