When assessing allegations of child abuse and/or neglect, use the
Signs of Safety Child Protection Practice Framework. Refer to the AOD Issues - Signs of Safety Mapping and Planning Prompts, Determining Risk Factors for an Infant, and the Bilateral Schedule Interagency Collaborative Processes When an Unborn or Newborn Baby is At Risk of Abuse and/or Neglect (all in related resources) for further information.
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must assess parents' capacity to safely care for their children as part of a Child Safety Investigation (CSI). Refer to Chapter 2.2 Conducting a Child Safety Investigation for further information.
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Issues to consider when conducting a CSI include:
unpredictability of parent behaviour during intoxication, withdrawal or when "coming down"
the likelihood and impact of relapse, and
the existence of co-occurring issues such as mental health issues and FDV. These significantly increase the risks of harm to the child and should be considered collectively and not as isolated or unrelated issues.
Discussing AOD issues with parents may be met with defensiveness, denial, minimisation and secrecy. Parents may be fearful of their child being removed, have had negative experiences with authorities in the past, feel ashamed of their AOD use or have a lack of insight or ambivalence. Parents with a history of their own childhood trauma are also likely to struggle with trauma symptoms and mental health issues. To increase the likelihood of success, adopt a trauma-informed approach and make appropriate referrals to ensure the parent receives additional support.
Where the parent is supported to manage their own trauma-issues, there is an increased likelihood of success to reduce/cease problematic AOD use and increased safety for the child.
| When working with Aboriginal families, acknowledge the additional trauma of colonisation, racism and impacts of the stolen generation. For additional resources on how to provide culturally competent and trauma-informed support, see:
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Ask parents general questions around AOD use when undertaking assessments to ensure early identification of issues, changes in patterns of use and the impacts, and reducing the likelihood of making assumptions. AOD Support Tools and Alcohol and Other Drug Models (in related resources) may assist you in collecting information about AOD use and its effects. The document AOD Screening Tools can also be utilised to gather further information about AOD use and Treatment Approaches for Users of Methamphetamine can provide guidance when working with parents affected by methamphetamines (both in related resources).
Support parents to seek and receive AOD treatment and assistance. Understanding Motivation and Working with Ambivalence (in related resources) provides information on the motivational interviewing process to assist and support people through change and overcoming addiction.
Ability to parent and provide care
Alcohol and other drug use can have a significant impact on the ability of parents to provide adequate care for their children. There is a high risk of neglect for children whose parents misuse substances. Parents can be physically or emotionally absent and may not meet their child's needs e.g. providing regular healthy meals and hygiene routines, or ensuring children attend school.
A parent who is intoxicated or withdrawing from AOD may have reduced ability to undertake everyday tasks and provide adequate supervision for their child. Their capacity to keep their child safe may diminish, for example, by drink driving and reducing their ability to meet financial responsibilities if they pay for substances instead of purchasing food or paying bills. Parental AOD use is a primary factor in children experiencing chronic food insecurity. A parent may resort to illegal means or engage in criminal activity as a way of paying for alcohol and or drugs, which can lead to the child having contact with unsafe people or being placed in unsafe environments.
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| The parent's ability to meet the child's needs must be the focus of assessment.
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Direct impacts on the child or unborn baby's safety and wellbeing
Anything consumed by a pregnant woman will be passed through to the foetus and AOD use during pregnancy can cause a range of negative health outcomes in utero and following birth for a baby. While in utero, a foetus can also suffer adverse effects due to poor diet, high stress levels and violence perpetrated against their mother.
Newborn babies can suffer significant impacts related to withdrawal from the substances they were exposed to in the uterus. They may experience pain, discomfort and irritability which can make feeding, settling and attachment difficult for them.
| Where you become aware of AOD use in pregnancy, acknowledge that this is likely related to attempts to cope with past trauma and current difficult situations, not a conscious decision to harm the foetus. Consider how to discuss and manage the following risks: - Withdrawal in the baby following delivery.
- Premature birth.
- Low birth weight.
- Miscarriage.
- Birth defects and impaired foetal growth.
- Brain damage, cognitive deficits and developmental delay.
- Co-sleeping and the increased risks with alcohol use.
- Speech and language difficulties.
- Social, emotional and behavioural issues.
- Drinking post-birth and the implications for breast feeding and the effects on their capacity to care for the child.
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Infants and young children are at risk of physical and emotional abuse if a parent's response to intoxication or withdrawal symptoms is violent, reactive, irritable, or punitive. Children may be at risk of sexual abuse, due to reduced supervisory levels or neglect, and exposure to drug use or paraphernalia (e.g. needles), drug overdose, drug dealing, and other criminal activity. When parents are involved in drug manufacturing, children may be at risk of significant long-term physical harm through exposure to dangerous chemicals.
Impact on the parent/child relationship
Parents who are substance affected and/or withdrawing can have mood fluctuations leading to inconsistent parenting and are more likely to be irritable, angry and to lash out in violence due to their own physical pain and discomfort. This can cause children to feel fearful and confused by their parent's behaviour, which may change between loving and scary. The parent's ability to connect with their child and be responsive to their child's developmental and emotional needs can also be reduced.
Children may also develop chronic fear if they are exposed to violence (in the home or community) and worry about their parent's wellbeing and safety. This could include the possibility of their parents being incarcerated or them being removed from their parents' care. Emotional stress can harm a child's physical brain development and place the child at risk of poor developmental outcomes.
Unreasonable expectations on the child to take on parenting roles
Children may be pressured into taking on parenting roles to help support themselves, their siblings, or their parents. Helping to care for younger children is not harmful, and in the context of Aboriginal families can be considered culturally appropriate. Where the expectations of that care are age-inappropriate and/or excessive, it can lead to disruptions in their education and feelings of isolation from their peers. Where older siblings are responsible for the care of younger siblings, including infants, the level of care provided can be inadequate.
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| Where there are concerns for parental AOD use, consider the child's practical and emotional responsibilities compared to expected responsibilities for a child of the same age and/or developmental stage where within that culture there is no parental AOD use.
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