is not always the verdict, parental rights may be terminated unless a parent voluntarily enrolls in an addiction treatment program within three months of her child’s birth.
However, many addiction treatment programs in Kentucky aren’t always accessible to women for a number of reasons, including health insurance.
State Rep. David Mead said that in most cases mothers will do what they can to keep families together, including addiction treatment. He added that in some cases, court mandated termination of parental rights is necessary if continued drug use is found to occur while the baby is at home.
Foster families who adopt children affected by NAS have expressed concern over the new bill. Some view HB 1 as not being strict enough, while others see it as a way to help babies find homes with a drug-free environment.
Numerous medical groups have recommended to approach this issue with delicacy, in order to avoid stigmatizing addiction for women who may be pregnant or are considering enrolling in an addiction treatment program post-pregnancy.
This section of HB 1 will go into effect in July.
Author: Sean Woodard
Sean Woodard is a journalist for Addiction Now and serves on the Film Department for Drunk Monkeys Literary Magazine and Film Blog. Focusing on a wide variety of interests, Sean’s fiction, film criticism, and other writing have been featured in Los Angeles Review of Books, Found Polaroids, and Los Angeles Magazine, among other publications. A native of Visalia, CA, he now resides in Orange County. Contact Sean at seanw@addictionnow.com
