Prenatal Substance Exposure:

Support Services for Children who were affected by drugs or alcohol during pregnancy

What kind of effects can this have on the child?

• Children who were affected by drugs and alcohol during pregnancy may face many challenges once they are born and start to grow.
  

• They may be fussy and cry a lot as babies. This can be very hard for parents.

• They may also have some delays in growth and development or learning problems.
  

• They can have problems later on in relating to other children, and they might act aggressively.

What can Parents do?

• All children need lots of love and attention from their parents. Children affected by drugs and alcohol need even more.
  

• Parents can help by being aware of their child’s behavior and development and by learning all they can about their child’s condition.
  

• Parents can also help their child by having educational toys in their home that are appropriate for the child’s age and condition.
  

• Regular doctor’s appointments are very important, and all doctor’s recommendations need to be followed.
  
  


• If parents suspect the child is behind in development, they should talk to their doctor or contact CCC’s School Readiness program (547-4282).
  

What can child care providers do?

• Child care providers can do many of the same things that parents do – they can provide a loving environment with educational toys appropriate for the child.
  

• They can also pay special attention to the child and notice how the child is learning and playing with other children.
  

• Anything that seems out of the ordinary needs to be reported to parents.
  

• Parents also need to hear about the positive things their child does!
  

Can Coordinated Child Care help?

• Coordinated Child Care has a program called New Beginnings to help parents and child care providers who have children exposed to drugs and alcohol during pregnancy.
  

• New Beginnings staff meets regularly with parents and providers to make sure that the child’s needs are being met.
  

• The program also provides developmental screening to make sure that any developmental delays are identified and makes referrals for further services if needed.
  

• New Beginnings staff visits with families in their homes to make recommendations to parents about educational items that could help the child.
  

• Child care provider training is offered to educate caregivers about how to work with children exposed to drugs and alcohol during pregnancy.

• The child must be 0-5 years of age

• Exposed to drugs or alcohol during pregnancy

• The child must already be in child care or in need of child care

For More Information about New Beginnings
or to make a referral, call 547-4280.