222 South Warren Street
Trenton, NJ 08625

Contact: Laurie Facciarossa
(609) 292-3703

RELEASE: November 25, 2003

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Workgroup reports examine impact of substance abuse
and domestic violence on children and families served by DYFS

“These workgroups and their reports are not about DYFS but two issues hurting our children and families,” said Commissioner Harris. “It was important to include people from not only DYFS and DHS but also the courts, law enforcement, health care and community providers who touch the lives of these families everyday.”

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than six million children across the country lived with at least one parent who abused or was dependent on alcohol and/or illicit drugs during the past year. In New Jersey, the DYFS reports:
• 33 percent of all substantiated abuse/neglect cases each year include at least one caregiver who was known to have a substance abuse problem
• In 54 percent of these cases, the abused/neglected child was younger than five years old
• The number of substantiated cases with prenatal substance abuse is approximately 11% each year
• For the past five years (1998-2002), 23 percent of all child abuse/neglect deaths for children under the age of one there was evidence of drug use during pregnancy

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