HOW CHILDREN ARE AFFECTED BY METH

PLYMOUTH - When a person is addicted to methamphetamine, nothing else
matters except their next high. When that person is a parent, they
are destroying more than their own lives.

"The children are the true victims in this," said Mary Lou Connolly,
local attorney. Connolly has been the Guardian ad Litem in Marshall
County for more than 10 years.

A Guardian ad Litem is appointed by the court to ensure the best
interest of children who end up in the legal system. Connolly
represents 90 percent of the Marshall County children who go to court
through the Division of Child Services (DCS).

"This drug is so scary. This is an issue that I am extremely
interested in and distressed by,"she said. Due to her background in
health care and anesthesiology, Connolly understands the effects of
meth all too well.

The county currently has 100 children in the welfare system.
One-third of those have been taken from their parents due to drug
usage, and one-third of that usage involves meth, she said.

There are 15 foster homes in the county which house 51 children that
have been taken from their parents for some reason or another. "I
don't know how many more meth families the division can handle," said
Connolly. "There's always a shortage in foster homes."

Meth in a child's environment poses several dangers. Younger children
can be exposed to the fumes, while older children could gain access
of the drug and start using, said Connolly.

"We've been fortunate in Marshall County, that hasn't been the case
yet. I hope in my lifetime I don't see the kids starting to use
meth," she said. There have been situations where children have
tested positive for the drug, she added.

Parents involved with meth do not often physically abuse their
children as much as neglect them, said Connolly. "These children
aren't getting hugs or play time," she said. "Meth is their full
focus. The children are not being cared for, and the parents don't
even realize it sometimes."

Younger children in meth homes are not even aware of what a real home
life is like, she said. Many times the older children in the house
will look after the younger ones, and will contact someone at their
school about their situation at home.

"For the most part, the older children are pretty aware of what's
going on. They're frightened - scared of having their parents taken
away from them,"she said.

When a meth lab is discovered in a home, the children are immediately
removed by the DCS and placed somewhere else. The DCS tries to place
the children with other relatives, but their extended family members
don't always meet the criteria, she said. Children are tested if they
shows signs of being affected by the meth.

"When the parents are identified and arrested for meth use, the
children almost always have a complete disruption of their home,"
said Connolly.

Children need the stability of someplace to stay, but at times the
foster system has to place children out of Marshall County. This is a
complete interruption of the child's life - their home, school and
social environment.

The DCS offers counseling for children and their parent. The entire
goal is to keep the children safe and keep the family together, said Connolly.

"Sometimes it's impossible for these parents to get out of the legal
system. The recidivism and relapse rate for meth is so high," she
said. The DCS requires parents to seek treatment, submit random drug
screens and become involved in their children's lives. The Indiana
Department of Corrections offers several treatment programs to those
incarcerated. Unfortunately they are popular and difficult to get
into, said Connolly.

Parents are given assessments before they are allowed to spend more
time with their children. "Safety is always the focus. But the kids
don't understand why they can't go with mommy and daddy," she said.

If a parent continues to test positive for drug use, time between the
parent and child is supervised. The DCS can terminate the parents'
rights to their children if they continue to show a pattern of
returning to drug use, she said.

"They love their children, the problem is they don't know how to love
or care for them. At the time they don't think they're being bad
parents," she said.

A former meth addict who can look back and see they were a bad parent
is on the right path, said Connolly. "That's what makes my position
as Guardian ad Litem very satisfying. It's so wonderful when you see
the light bulb go off in the parent's head. I sometimes think the
best thing that can happen to these families is for the parents to be
arrested," she said.

The local law enforcement and foster parents are helping to keep
local children safe. "The law enforcement in Marshall County does a
fantastic job," she said. "And I really admire the foster parents.
They do a service to the community, the family and the kids."