A lethargic baby suffering from a methamphetamine overdose was among the youngest victims this year of a drug that continues to maintain a strong hold on some area parents, according to local officials.
The baby was among five children under the age of six from Butler and Ripley counties to test positive in the past year for the stimulant, said Melissa Dowd, chief deputy juvenile officer for the 36th Judicial Circuit.
They were all taken into state custody as methamphetamine remains the single greatest reason children in the two counties are taken away from their parents, said Dowd and Shonda Hill, chief juvenile officer.
Drug and alcohol abuse impact this area in many ways, with more than 400 individuals from Butler County alone admitted to treatment programs in 2016 through the Division of Behavioral Health.
A special insert in today's paper looks at how the life of a local deputy was put at risk during a drug seizure, a program that helps area veterans turn their lives around after substance abuse and how police officers are working to curb underage drinking.
As the nation turns its attention to the opioid problem, meth is still common and cheap in Southeast Missouri, according to some of the parents with which the juvenile office works, Dowd said.
"It's everywhere. It's very easy to get. It's not expensive. They'll tell you somebody gave it to them," she said.
Nearly 100 of the 230 total removals in 2016 were directly related to methamphetamine use, said Hill.
But both she and Dowd believe meth was likely the root cause in the other removals as well.
"A lot of times, once we get involved with a family, whether it's a dirty house, or maybe a truancy related issue, we find that drugs are the main problem," said Hill.
"We rarely see cocaine. We rarely see heroin," Dowd added. "The big one is methamphetamine, or if there is an opiate, many times there will be meth along with it."
Hair follicle tests can determine what drugs, and the amount of drugs used, up to 90 days prior to the test, Dowd said.
The children removed from these homes are placed in the care of other family members, if possible, or a foster home, while the state works with parents.
The process to return children can take between 12-15 months, if parents are cooperative, Dowd said.
"When the children are older, I think it's hard for them when they hear their parent is still doing drugs, or not doing what they need to, to get them back. I think it is really hard on those kids," Hill said.
Parents must have clean drug screens and meet other requirements set by the judge to have visitation, or later, a trial home placement, she said.
The judge may require parenting classes, treatment in a drug rehabilitation program, psychological testing or other steps by the parents to prove it is safe for children to return home.
"The main things we're looking at, is the home environment safe," Dowd said.
Juvenile workers have seen babies born addicted to methamphetamine, who required treatment in an ICU and morphine to battle withdrawal, as well as teenagers who have become addicted to the same drugs used by their parents.
"They've grown up around it. That's how they know to cope," Dowd said of the teens.
"That's their normal, unfortunately," Hill added.
Federal law requires a process to terminate parental rights be started if children have been in state custody for 15 of the most recent 22 months, unless there is a compelling reason not to, Dowd said.
If parents do not participate in the process to get their children back, termination of rights could begin earlier.
"We do have some that never come to anything and stop visiting their kids, basically abandon them," said Dowd.
A trial home placement agreement was developed about six months ago, that asks parents to agree to drug testing and additional visits by juvenile, children's division and other members of the family support team after children return home. This typically lasts for three months, but can be longer or shorter depending on the circumstances, Dowd said.
The agreement must be approved by a judge, she said.
"It stipulates, if they test positive, the children come back out of the home immediately," Dowd said.
The juvenile office saw the number of removals change in 2017, but say this could be due to a new and separate state program operated through children's division, rather than less methamphetamine use.
Numbers have fluctuated in recent years.
The state took 151 children into custody in 2017, compared to 230 in 2016; 111 in 2015; and 238 in 2014.
Removals designated specifically because of meth were: 56, in 2017; 97, in 2016; 38, in 2015; and 75, in 2014.
From those removed specifically because of meth, parental rights were terminated for: 16 children, 2017; 24 children, 2016; 35 children, 2015; and 24 children, 2014.