April 26, 2023: Drug Endangered Children Awareness Day

WHEREAS, drug endangered children are defined as those who are at risk of suffering physical or emotional harm due to a parent or caregiver’s substance use disorder; and,

WHEREAS, one in eight, or 8.7 million children aged 17 or younger across the United States live with at least one parent who has a substance use disorder; one in ten, or 7.5 million children live with at least one parent who has an alcohol use disorder; one in 35, or 2.1 million children lives with at least one parent who has an illicit drug use disorder; and,

WHEREAS, children with a parent who has a substance use disorder are more likely to have lower socioeconomic status, increased difficulty in school, and are at risk of parental abuse or neglect; and,

WHEREAS, 38 percent of out-of-home placements for children in Michigan aged 20 and younger were associated with parental substance use disorder, and parental substance use disorder is the second-leading circumstance associated with an out-of-home placement both in Michigan and nationally; and,

WHEREAS, the Michigan State Police Grants and Community Services Division has established a multidisciplinary statewide alliance to support drug endangered children with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Opioid Affected Youth Initiative grant; and, 

WHEREAS, the Michigan Alliance for Drug Endangered Children has trained over 1,000 individuals across 69 counties and seven tribal nations in identifying drug endangered children and the risks they face, as well as strategies to improve collaboration between professions with the goal of providing better coordinated care to families affected by substance use disorder; and, 

WHEREAS, the Michigan Alliance for Drug Endangered Children seeks to establish a collaborative system of professionals that works to ensure all families lead lives free from abuse, neglect, and exposure to opioids and other harmful substances; they work to raise awareness of the effects of substance use disorders on families and children throughout Michigan, improve data collection and information sharing among professionals, and promote multidisciplinary collaboration between professionals working with drug endangered children;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim April 26, 2023, as Drug Endangered Children Awareness Day in Michigan.