Impact of Parental Substance Abuse on Children Involved with the Child Welfare System in the U.S.: A Literature Review

Abstract

In 2017, an estimated 19.7 million adults suffered from a substance use disorder (SUD) (Bose et al., 2018). Between 2009 and 2014, 8.7 million children a year had at least one parent with a substance use disorder (SUD) (Lipari & Van Horn, 2017). Parental substance abuse (PSA) puts children at a higher risk of maltreatment, injury, and medical and behavioral problems. The previous literature is not entirely clear about which services and programs are effective for parental SUDs and child outcomes. This literature review aimed to identify and investigate the effects of parental substance abuse on children in the U.S. child welfare system and the efforts being made to mitigate these effects by addressing the impact of PSA on families. Results concluded that first, child welfare cases in the U.S. are greatly affected by PSA; second, children experiencing PSA are not only at risk of maltreatment and neglect but also traumatic experiences, psychological and psychosocial disorders, and the development of SUDs of their own; and third, there is a deep need for integrated services and collaboration when it comes to PSA and child welfare in the U.S., beginning with an increase in research on strategies and interventions addressing PSA and child welfare.