Meet Sara.
She was
just 19-months old and one of ten children law enforcement officers
discovered when they served a search warrant on a home. Officers found
Sara in filthy clothes, lying on the floor next to a half-pound of crank.
This is the home Sara was rescued from.
It
had no electricity. No gas. No running water. Rotten food covered the
counters and filled the
refrigerator. A propane tank sat next to a wood stove pipe - with
no firewall protection.
Children like Sara are perhaps the most
heart-wrenching victims of Meth abuse and manufacturing. They are
sometimes found in homes and other places where Meth and other illegal
substances are produced.
Children who live in or visit such
clandestine labs face a wide range of health and safety risks, including
exposure to toxic chemicals, drugs, contaminated food, fires and
explosions. They are also at high risk for abuse and neglect, as well as
exposure to firearms and violence.
Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Teams are
being developed around South Dakota to coordinate the work of law
enforcement, medical services and child protection workers to make sure
that children like Sara receive the appropriate attention and care.
In communities across the state, DEC teams will be able to respond
whenever children are thought to be in a Meth lab situation. While each
part of the team has a specific role to play - whether it is collecting
and preserving evidence, assessing a child's physical and mental health or
ensuring safe care for the youngster - they work together with one goal in
mind: Protecting the youngest victims, like Sara. |
