No, a parent and child shouldn’t be separated just because the parent used drugs

Children <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/what-separation-from-parents-does-to-children-the-effect-is-catastrophic/2018/06/18/c00c30ec-732c-11e8-805c-4b67019fcfe4_story.html" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">experience long-lasting harms</a> when they are forcibly separated from their families. Even just brief separations can cause deep, permanent damage. This isn’t based on hypotheticals or assumptions — it’s something we <a href="https://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5407&context=mulr" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">know to be true</a>. Given the overwhelming research proving the trauma that such separations inflict on children and their parents, a state’s decision to take such a drastic step should always be deeply vetted and dependent on the safety and well-being of the involved child. The unfortunate reality, however, is that the modern child welfare system was built on a deeply racist foundation that encourages family separations instead of providing robust and meaningful help for children and their families. <a href="https://medium.com/ncyl-news/no-a-parent-and-child-shouldnt-be-separated-just-because-the-parent-used-drugs-b2d0c4dca674">Learn More</a>