Immediate Follow Up for Drug Endangered Children

Drug Endangered Children
General Overview

It’s the Law: HB 1258

Angels in Black -
A child’s vision of hope

Information for Mandatory Reporters
 *Tips for Home Visitors

Signs of Exposure in Children

Growing Up With Meth

Start a DEC Team in 10 Easy Steps

DEC Team Protocols
  -Emergency Room
  -Decontamination
  -Law Enforcement
  -Child Protective Services
  -Medical Facility
 -Immediate Follow Up
 -Long Term Follow Up

Dr. Kathryn Well's Papers: "Meth Impact on Children"

DEC Links

While the initial response to finding children in a Meth home or lab is concentrated on immediate physical needs of the children and documenting evidence to build a case, actions taken the next three days are just as vital.  Law enforcement, child protective services and medical personnel work together over the course of those 72-hours to stabilize and treat the children and further document evidence for upcoming court proceedings.

Within 72-hours of discovering children in drug labs:

Law Enforcement:
    Children need to be interviewed by personnel trained in the forensically correct method for children.  This process should be coordinated with CPS.

Child Protective Services:
    1) There may have been other children in the family or home who were not present at the time of the seizure.  All children who have lived in the home will need to be examined and their information collected for tracking.
    2) The medical histories of the children need to be investigated and documented.

Medical Personnel:
    1) A complete medical evaluation as needed based on the exam done at the first evaluation.
    2) Blood test - if not done on the earlier exam
    3) Hepatitis B, C panels as indicated if LFTs elevated.
    4) Developmental evaluation using an age appropriate standardized tool.
    5) Mental health evaluation
    6) Dental evaluation