Kin raising kids deserve full support

I thank The Dispatch for its thoughtful reporting in the Sunday article “Grandparents raising kids of addicts struggle with little aid.” We applaud the hundreds of thousands of unsung heroes in Ohio who, like the Renda Family, extend their families and their love to children hurt by a parent’s addiction.

As a community, we should celebrate and support these caregivers and find ways to ensure they at least receive the same resources as other foster families.

Imagine what happens to toddlers and infants who find a parent overdosed and near death in a bathtub. Consider for a moment the damage to a child who is constantly neglected and abused as is too often the case with addiction.

Kids exposed to this type of trauma will begin to act out and can even experience brain disorders that jeopardize their ability to learn and grow. For example, one of our grandmothers reported that her grandson was experiencing severe behavioral challenges, acting out inappropriately and facing disciplinary action in his traditional school setting. Approximately 25 percent of our young students currently have grandparents involved in their care here at St. Vincent Prep Academy, working alongside their grandchildren to ensure their best success.

Caregivers and kids often need counseling and treatment to heal and get back on track for a successful life. St. Vincent Family Center provides critical behavioralhealth-care programs to more than 3,000 children and families each year. Last year, we saw a significant increase in the number of children and families who sought our care because of the opioid crisis.

Ohio’s kinship-care policies should fully support caregivers and children who are healing from a loved one’s addiction. And for those in need of immediate help, please call 614-824-KIDS ( 5437).