Re: Drug Testing in Child Protection Cases

["Betty Surbeck" <surbeck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At our child welfare agency we do not do drug testing although the probation
department does and we often subpoena their records and use their results in
our judication proceedings. Our county D/A agency does not beleive they are
effective way to detect addiction and current use. This is probably a very
debatable issue. Our workers do not want to do drug screening and we do not
have the resources to do them effectively. There are so many different ways to
cheat that it is a diffcult area to proscribe. Parents routinely use their
children's urine or their children's friend urine and this can put the child in
a dfficult position.
        In fact because drug use is so high in our area most babies that are
born positive for drugs are not opened, it depends on what supports and
resources are available to ensure the child's safety. Once a case is opened
though we do use drug screens as indicators of progress before the child is
returned if available through probation or other sources. We also sometimes
write in the court recommendations that the parent is not to be the sole
caregivers for a chld while under the influence of an intoxicating substance.
This works when the parent beleives that we will know about it or have the
power to do something, ie remove a child. It does not work if the parent does
not want a child and parents have been know to refuse treatment because they
did not want the responsibility of a child, mostly adolescents. I would like to
hear maor on this topic. I think at least 80% of our client population have
drug problems that interfer with the care of their children.