FOSTER CARE IS VITAL WHILE PARENTS FIGHT METH ADDICTION

When parents are busted for methamphetamines, it's not only themselves
they hurt.

It's also their children.

During a recent meeting of the Isanti County Multi Disciplinary Team,
team members discussed the effects that parents' meth abuse can have
on their children.

Isanti County Family Services child protection worker Linda Kidrowski
explained that after a child is put in temporary foster care, time
limits are set on the parents to clean up their act.

She explained for children under 8, the parents have six months to get
their child back and if they are over 8, the parents get 12 months.

Isanti County Family Services Child Protection Supervisor Ann
Stackpool said one-half of children removed from their parents in 2004
due to a drug addiction, were placed back with their parents. The
other half, were placed in foster care.

"The key to a successful reunification is having support, having
somebody that will hold them [parents] accountable," Stackpool said.
"For some, it's someone at church, or their family, or their chemical
dependency support group or probation and the court system."

Jennifer Ayshford, from Isanti County Family Services detailed one
scenario she recently has dealt with.

Ayshford explained a husband and wife used meth together and when she
got pregnant, she used through her pregnancy and the baby tested
positive for meth at birth.

Both parents had been using meth for years, indicating the father had
used for at least 15 years.

Their baby ended up in foster care with grandparents for four to six
months, while the parents went through treatment.

Ayshford said the mom entered treatment pretty easily, but she had to
work very hard with the husband to get him into treatment.

Both parents ended up relapsing and told on each other when they
relapsed.

Since this, Ayshford indicated the family has moved out of the area to
be closer to family and has quit their addiction once again.

Their child, who will turn 2-years old in August, is looking healthy,
Ayshford said. She said the mother stops in and calls Family Services
every once in a while.

But Ayshford said, it's a struggle for the parents to stay off meth.

Kat Brown, from Isanti County Family Services, explained social
workers need to stay involved with the parents trying to fight a meth
addiction.

"Depending on the intensity of the case, we try to help folks the best
we can," Brown said. "Some need a lot more contact from social workers
and need more than one visit per month."

One aspect relating to the number of meth busts, is the need for more
foster homes. It was noted the county's foster care homes are at their
limits.

Stackpool said that when a child has to be placed in foster care, it's
mandated that Family Services does a relative search, to see if family
members would be willing to have the child.

Depending on the circumstances, Stackpool said a child may be placed
with a relative anywhere from 30 days to two to three months.

What Family Services is looking for when talking to family members,
Stackpool explained, is if the family is willing to make a commitment
to raising a child.

"We really need to do a comprehensive search . . . and find out if the
family is willing to be a long term resource option for long term
placement for the kids," Stackpool said. "Once we meet with the family
we talk about what it is to be foster parents and the expectations we
have of them."

Stackpool said in some cases, the family members don't want to believe
that their son or daughter has a meth problem.

"In my mind, sometimes I feel a mom doesn't want to believe her
daughter is using meth," Stackpool said. "Who would want to believe
that about their daughter?"

As far as reasons parents start using meth, team members have been
told to lose weight or so they have energy to clean the house.

Lynn Zierden, from Isanti County Family Services, said sometimes
parents use so they have something to do together, which then makes it
harder when one is maintaining sobriety and the other is not.

"Sometimes you have cases where one parent is successful in
maintaining sobriety and the other is not," Zierden said. "Then
sometimes one of the parents are forced to choose between their spouse
and their children."

Stackpool indicated each child protection worker is averaging around
30 cases each, when it's recommended by the Child Welfare League of
America that social workers only carry around 15 cases each.

Brown brought up the fact that since 1996, there has been no expansion
of intake/social workers.

Stackpool said last year Isanti County spent $716,773 to deal with
meth. That figure includes such things as increased hours, staff time,
foster care and zoning issues, among other things.

Teen pregnancy

Another area being effected by meth is Isanti County Public Health.

Sherry Wentworth, Public Health Nurse Supervisor, explained meth is
effecting everything they do. She said one area where she is noticing
an increase is in pregnant teens using meth.

Wentworth said that more and more teens coming in to public health are
admitting they have used meth and in some cases have used meth while
pregnant.

"Sometimes the teen comes in and after taking a pregnancy test, they
reveal to us they have used meth or are living in a home where meth is
being manufactured and sold," Wentworth said. "Sometimes these girls
aren't getting any type of prenatal care and are not taking care of
themselves and their baby."

Zierden said since meth is so available in the area, sometimes people
talk about the need to move to other communities to maintain their
sobriety.

Wentworth noted once a teenager decides to stay clean and has their
baby, they get sucked back into the same lifestyle again and then end
up with no safe place for them to go with their baby.

Brown indicated it's hard for people to quit using meth.

"We can't expect them to quit, just because we tell them to," said
Brown.