Substance Exposed Newborns Summit

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Substance Exposed Newborns Summit

• June 23, 2020
• Catherine M. Nolan, Director
• Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Childrens
  Bureau, Administration on Children and Families
• US Dept.of Health and Human Services

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Childrens Bureau

• History
• The oldest Federal agency for children
• Within the Administration for Children and
  Families, the Children's Bureau
• Primary responsible for administering Federal
  child welfare programs
• Created by President Taft in 1912
• Initial purpose to investigate and report on
  child labor, infant mortality, birth rates,
  orphanages, juvenile courts, and other social
  issues of the time
• Mission Today
• Seeks to provide for the safety, permanency and
  well being of children through leadership,
  support for necessary services, and productive
  partnerships with States, Tribes, and
  communities.

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Childrens Bureau

• The Children's Bureau (CB) is one of two bureaus
  within the Administration on Children, Youth and
  Families, Administration for Children and
  Families, of the Department of Health and Human
  Services.
• With an annual budget of over 8 billion, the
  Children's Bureau works with State and local
  agencies to develop programs that focus on
  preventing the abuse of children in troubled
  families, protecting children from abuse, and
  finding permanent placements for those who cannot
  safely return to their homes.

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Office on Child Abuse and Neglect

• CAPTA amendments, June 1996
• Focal point for interagency collaboration and
  coordination across Dept regarding child
  maltreatment issues.
• New office within CB effective April, 1998

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Federal Leadership on Child Welfare and Substance
Abuse Issues - CB

• Long-standing efforts related to substance abuse
  and child welfare
• Abandoned Infants Assistance (AIA) programs
• National Resource Center on AIA, Berkley, CA

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Federal Leadership on Child Welfare and Substance
Abuse Issues, cont.

• 1997 ASFA
• Report to Congress April, 1999
• 2000 2001 Regional State Team Forums
• 2001-2007 Quality Improvement Center
• Rocky Mountain QIC - Denver
• 2002 National Center on Substance Abuse and Child
  Welfare

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Federal Leadership on Child Welfare and Substance
Abuse Issues, cont.

• 2003 - CAPTA Reauthorization
• SEN provision
• 2006 Reauthorization of PSSF
• Regional Partnership Grant program requirement
• 2007 -2012 Regional Partnership Grants
• 2009 - Family Connections Grants

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Federal Leadership on Child Welfare and Substance
Abuse Issues

• Blending Perspectives and Building Common Ground 
• A Report to Congress on Substance Abuse and Child
  Protection in April 1999 
• Required by ASFA legislation of 1997
• Cross- Agency Effort
• Administration on Children and Families
• SAMHSA
• HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for
  Planning and Evaluation
• Report was a launch point for formal efforts
  geared at this intersection

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Blending Perspectives and Building Common Ground

• Report key points
• Substance Abuse is a Critical Child Welfare Issue
  
• Timely Substance Abuse Services Are Key to
  Achieving Permanency for Children
• Collaboration Between Child Welfare and Substance
  Abuse Treatment Agencies is Challenging
• Improved Practice and Outcomes are Possible and
  Essential

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Keeping Children and Families Safe Act 2003-Child
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act

• New SEN provision
• To create policies and procedures to address the
  needs of infants born and identified as being
  affected by illegal substance abuse or withdrawal
  symptoms resulting from prenatal drug exposure.
• Notification of CPS
• Develop plan of safe care for infant and family

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CB Funds Specifically Targeting Child Welfare
and Substance Abuse

• Model Development or Replication to Implement the
  CAPTA Requirement to Identify and Serve Substance
  Exposed Newborns (SEN grants)
• 4 projects
• Healthy Connections (OH)
• FEAT (OR)A
• Helping Hand (MA)
• C-SIMI Baby Steps (CO)

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CB Funds Specifically Targeting Child Welfare
and Substance Abuse, cont.

• Regional Partnership Grants (RPGs
• 53 regional partnership grants awarded nationwide
  in September, 2007
• Improve the safety, permanency, and well-being of
  children affected by methamphetamine and other
  substance abuse
• The grants address a variety of common systemic
  and practice challenges that are barriers to
  optimal family outcomes

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Childrens Bureau Regional Partnership Grants
and NCSACW In-Depth Technical Assistance Sites
NCSACW IDTA Sites 17 Sites 12
States Round 5 2 States

and 1 Tribal Community 2
Tribal Communities 1 County
Created 7/28/09
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CB Funds Specifically Targeting Child Welfare
and Substance Abuse, cont.

• Family Connections Grants
• Legislatively mandated
• Funding Announcement posted Spring, 2009
• Grants awarded 9/30/2009
• Comprehensive Residential Family Treatment
• 5 grants awarded

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Family Connections Grantees Residential Family
Treatment Cluster

• The Wayside House, Inc., St. Louis Park, MN
• Amethyst, Inc., Columbus, OH
• OnTrack Inc., Medford, OR
• Renewal House, Inc., Nashville, TN
• State of Wisconsin Department of Children and
  Families, Madison, WI

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CB Funds Specifically Targeting Child Welfare
and Substance Abuse, cont.

• Conferences
• Substance Exposed Newborns Weaving Together
  Effective Policy Practice (October 2005)
• Methamphetamine The Child Welfare Impact
  Response
• Jointly Sponsored by CB/OCAN and SAMHSA/CSAT
  (May 2006)
• Substance Exposed Newborn Summit (June 2010
  Alexandria, VA )
• Training and Technical Assistance
• National Center on Substance Abuse and Child
  Welfare - (http//www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov
• National AIA Resource Center - http//aia.berkeley
  .edu
• Child Welfare Information Gateway
  -www.childwelfare.gov

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Childrens Bureau

• Thank You For All the Good Work You Do!
• Childrens Bureau Website
• http//www.acf.hhs.gov
• Catherine M. Nolan
• catherine.nolan_at_acf.hhs.gov