(May 28, 2019) – They are the youngest victims of America’s opioid epidemic – babies born to addicted mothers, who enter the world dependent on the drugs and at risk of severe withdrawal symptoms. Individuals and families who are caring for these infants need information and guidance about the effects of opioid exposure in infants, both in the short and long term.
KidsPeace Foster Care in Southeastern Pennsylvania has launched a new online training program on caring for opioid-impacted babies. The free online training program expands on information developed for in-person trainings held last year in Bucks County, PA. The three-session training can be accessed on KidsPeace’s online training portal at www.kidspeace.thinkific.com.
The training is designed for foster and kinship care parents and healthcare professionals. It provides an overview of current understanding about opioid use among pregnant women and the impact on their babies’ health and development. The training also addresses Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), and highlights areas in which more research and information-sharing on the problem is needed:
- What is involved in an opioid addiction and how at-risk mothers can be identified ahead of time
- How babies are assessed for NAS, and what symptoms can foster parents expect to see
- What techniques foster parents have found in terms of caring for these infants
- What insights the available research can and cannot provide regarding long-term effects
- What resources are available to foster parents with an infant with NAS
The online training is offered to the public free of charge, thanks to funding provided by Foundations Community Partnership, the Genuardi Family Foundation and TE Connectivity.
Since 1882, KidsPeace has been building on its expertise to give hope, help and healing to children, adults and those who love them. Through its comprehensive range of residential treatment programs; accredited educational services; unique psychiatric hospital and foster care and community-based programs, KidsPeace is dedicated to helping people connect, transform and overcome their challenges to ensure a stable future, transition to adulthood and gain independence. Since its doors opened, more than 200,000 children have participated in one of the multitude of programs KidsPeace offers.
For additional resources or more information on how to get involved, become a foster parent or make a donation, please visit www.kidspeace.org. Follow us at www.facebook.com/kidspeace.org or on Twitter @KidsPeace.
Information Provided By:
Robert Martin
Director of Communications
