IMPACT OF SUBSTANCE MISUSE ON PARENTING CAPACITY

Impact Of Substance Misuse On Parenting Capacity

Abstract

This paper examines some of the issues that can arise with such placements, particularly in view of the part that substance misuse may play within the wider family system, the impact of parental drug and alcohol use on attachment and child development, and the complex dynamics that can ensue. Drawing on themes emerging from parental substance misuse literature and kinship care research, some practice dilemmas will be explored. While acknowledging the complex aetiology of substance misuse and the dangers of pathologizing family systems in which it is found, some hypotheses about potential risks and challenges will be debated. It will be argued that, although such placements can often provide children with a safe haven, they may demand a specific type of support and monitoring, if children's welfare is to be safeguarded. Where parental substance misuse is an issue, family placements, whether formally or informally arranged, are increasingly being used and the support of grandparents, in particular, has been identified as a significant protective factor for children.

Table of Content

Abstracti

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION1

Background1

Problem Statement2

Significance2

Research Question4

Purposes5

Limitations and Suggestion for Future Research5

Assumptions & Limitation6

Reliability6

Validity7

Ethical Concerns8

CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW10

Kinship Care And Parental Substance Misuse: Some Practice Dilemmas25

CHAPTER 03: METHODOLOGY29

Research Design29

Qualitative Research29

Literature Search30

CHAPTER 04: DISCUSSION32

Discovery, blame and guilt: complex families, complex feelings36

What Children Bring With Them: The Impact Of Parental Substance Misuse38

Disordered attachment and 'imported pathology': the impact on placements38

CHAPTER 05: CONCLUSION42

References43

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION

Background

When parents misuse drugs and/or alcohol, there can be manifold consequences for child welfare, from pre-birth onwards, as well as implications for sound psychological and social development (Forrester 2000; Kroll & Taylor 2003; Harwin & Forrester 2002; Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs 2003). In this paper some critical issues are explored in situations where children of substance-misusing parents are cared for by grandparents or other extended family members. Some of the complex dynamics that can arise are analysed, and the attendant implications for practice are considered. Even in the best-regulated homes, the 'sharing' of a child between carers can be problematic; with this type of extended family arrangement, situations arise where this 'sharing' might be enforced rather than voluntary, where contact may be difficult because of substance misuse, and where loyalties may be tested to the limit. The impact of the 'elephant in the living room' must also be considered, where the substance is a huge and significant family member whose presence is often denied by adults but who is very visible to the children and can cast a long shadow (Kroll 2004).

Problem Statement

The practice dilemmas in relation to working with parental substance misuse are now well documented (Bates et al. 1999; Forrester 2000, 2004; Taylor & Kroll 2004) and may well have resonance for kinship care, an area already demanding in terms of assessment skills (Talbot & Calder 2006) and care planning (Hart 2004). However, this is a largely uncharted area worthy of empirical research, as the Hidden Harm report acknowledges (Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs ...