In 2016, Florida experienced a 35-percent rise in the number of deaths due to opioid abuse. This has led to legislators looking over the options to combat this rising tide of drug addiction which affects those who are hooked on opioids and their children as well. Opioids have powerful addictive qualities and many who have used them move on to even stronger drugs such as fentanyl and heroin.

While legislators are moving to stop the spread of opioids through dealers, doctors, and drug users, child-welfare advocates are focusing on the children of those who are addicted to address their needs. While many children see their parents’ lives fall apart due to opioid addiction to varying degrees, the suffering is still quite powerful. Many have seen photos of parents passed out in the front seat of vehicles while their children are in the back seats, but many go under the radar as the opioid addiction takes more subtle tones.

In 2016, more than 4,000 babies in Florida were born addicted to opioids, an increase of over 1,000 compared to a decade ago. In the same year, there was a 38% rise in the number of children under five years old who were removed from homes where their parents were substance abusers. With a shortage of foster-care beds, action is being taken to help remedy the situation.

Governor Rick Scott is proposing a $53 million package, in large part funded by the federal government, to address the issues that opioids have done to his state. This includes bolstering substance abuse treatments and putting together prescription drugs with counseling along with other services to help curb the epidemic. The combination of counseling with getting opioids may help to stop the addiction before it begins. In addition, alternatives to opioid prescriptions may be a part of the package.

For many children, the addiction of their parents means that the money to keep the electricity, heat, and utilities on dries up. They start moving from one place to another and soon the parents cannot take care of their children at all. The lucky ones wind up in child-welfare services, but this often does not apply to teens and older children who may have to survive more on their own.

The Department of Children and Families has taken notice of the rise in children in the child-welfare system along with non-profit organizations that take in kids. The rise in addiction to opioids has resulted in widespread displacement of children whose parents are no longer able to properly care for them due to their addiction.

However, even with the new resources that are being tapped to address the opioid issue, it is only a partial solution unless the families of the addicts are adequately addressed. With parents being treated, their children need to be taken care of until they have overcome their addiction and can get back on their feet. Leaving the children behind only adds to the burden of the recovery process which means that Floridians are left holding the bag.