Drug endangered children are part of a growing population of children whose lives have been seriously and negatively impacted by drugs and alcohol. PCA Illinois is working closely with the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children to bring training and awareness of this issue to Illinois.

Two training were held in July, one in Effingham and one in Carterville.  Each training reached a large multi-disciplined audience which included law enforcement, child welfare, substance abuse treatment providers, medical personnel, crisis intervention services and many more. In addition to defining the issue, the training also focused on how to implement the Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Approach, which has been proven to be effective in increasing the chances of better outcomes for drug endangered children and break multi-generational cycles of abuse and neglect.

Some of the risk for children in households where adults are involved with drugs include: attachment disorders, educational issues, environmental chaos, lack of supervision, violence and domestic violence, loss (from the child's perspective), ingestion and exposure, human or sex trafficking, and lack of necessities like healthy food, clothing and shelter. Together, we can form an alliance to address these issues and better protect children. PCA Illinois, along with key partners in the state, is in the planning stages of creating a Drug Endangered Children Alliance in Illinois. Individuals, programs, and agencies interested in joining this effort can contact Tarra Winters for more information.