Fostering Recovery

Chemical dependency is a family disease.  However, many individuals experiencing substance abuse often do not receive important supportive services for other family members, especially their young children.  If the primary caretaker, usually the mother, suffers from addiction, then the parent-child relationship suffers too and their inability to properly parent increases the likelihood of intervention by child welfare services, including foster care placement, and the judicial system.

Fostering Recovery seeks to remedy that situation by examining a combination of traditional substance abuse treatment and proven parenting and relationship counseling.  Participants are currently involved with the Child Protective Services and all receive rapid referral to a substance abuse treatment provider.  This study compares families receiving only substance abuse treatment with those also receiving additional therapeutic services.  We anticipate Fostering Recovery will show that combining therapies enhances parent-child relationships, increases the emotional and cognitive development of the children, reduces out-of-home placements and improves both parental participation and long-term success.

Principal Investigators
Sheree L. Toth, Ph. D., Jody Todd Manly, Ph.D.

Special Thanks To Our Funders
Children’s Bureau and Monroe County Department of Human Services