Grassley Brings Iowan to Washington, DC to Share Struggles with Meth

GRASSLEY BRINGS IOWAN TO WASHINGTON, D.C. TO SHARE STRUGGLES WITH METH

Cedar Rapids native participates in hearing as a witness

Sen. Chuck Grassley said that Iowan Allison Bruno brought a real life perspective on meth abuse to the Senate Finance Committee that he held today. Committee members heard testimony on the effects of meth on the Child Welfare System.

Bruno, along with a family of former meth users and other meth experts testified in the committee hearing today. Grassley said he appreciated Bruno's willingness to share the personal struggles she had with meth while growing up and as a young adult.

"I heard some moving stories from Allison and the other witnesses today. Seeing such a remarkable and positive change to the harmful life they were living is an inspiration to others," Grassley said.

Bruno is a mother of two children who has been clean and sober from meth for three years. She graduated from the Heart of Iowa family treatment program and she is a member of the Moms Off Meth Iowa-based group. She is attending college and said she intends to be a social worker focused on helping other mothers who suffer from substance abuse.

As chairman of the Finance Committee, Grassley has jurisdiction over foster care and child welfare programs. The meth epidemic is putting a strain on an already overburdened child welfare system in some areas. An increasing number of out of home placements is taking place because children living with meth addicted parents are being neglected, exposed to toxic chemicals and are being abused.

"I'll be looking at bipartisan initiatives to update the child welfare system to enable states to better respond to challenges like a sudden spike in the number of meth-related child welfare cases," Grassley said.

Below is Sen. Grassley's opening statement:

Opening Statement of Sen. Chuck Grassley

Hearing, "The Social and Economic Effects of the Methamphetamine Epidemic on America's Child Welfare System"

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Today's meeting of the Senate Finance Committee is for the purpose of hearing testimony on "The Social and Economic Effects of the Methamphetamine Epidemic on America's Child Welfare System." It is worth noting that this is the first hearing the full Finance Committee has had on an issue relating to child welfare in nearly 10 years.

Discussions of issues relative to child welfare are long overdue and if time permits, I intend to hold another full committee hearing on child welfare issues, particularly as they relate to the "Promoting Safe and Stable Families" program which the Congress must reauthorize this year. Today we will hear about the awful toll that methamphetamine abuse and addiction are taking on families, communities and our nation's social services infrastructure, particularly as it relates to children.

Methamphetamine is possibly the fastest-growing drug threat in America. According to a survey from the National Association of Counties, 58 percent of counties report that meth is their largest drug problem. Meth is highly addictive and the effects last longer than crack or cocaine. Meth is relatively easy to make and cheap, compared to other drugs. According to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 12 million Americans have tried meth. Meth-making operations have been uncovered in all 50 states, but the most wide-spread abuse has been concentrated in the western, southwestern and midwestern United States.

Numerous reports indicate that methamphetamine abuse is on the increase, particularly among women of child-bearing age. This is having an impact on child welfare systems in many states. According to a survey administered by the National Association of Counties, "The Impact of Meth on Children," meth is major cause of child abuse and neglect. Forty percent of all the child welfare officials in the survey report increased out-of-home placements because of meth in the last year.

Many child welfare agencies are struggling to cope with the unique challenges associated with parental addiction to meth. Children living with a meth-addicted parent are often exposed to toxic chemicals such as ammonia, iodine, hydrochloric acid, starter fluid and drain cleaner used during the production of the drug. Because the parent's high lasts for hours and drug binges can persist for days, children are often left neglected to fend for themselves.

Additionally, one of the effects of meth is a dramatic increase in a user's sex drive. As a result, children are often exposed to pornography and sexual abuse.

While this hearing today will highlight the strains that the meth epidemic is perpetuating on the child welfare system, it is important to note that our nation's child welfare system is already over-burdened. The system is understaffed and under-trained. Children linger too long before securing a safe and permanent home.

More funding could be available for adoption assistance and family reunification services. Administrative funds could be used more efficiently. Data collection is insufficient. Finally the child welfare financing structure is antiquated and inflexible and prevents states from responding to a variety of challenges.

I am hopeful that working on a bipartisan basis, the Senate Finance Committee can address fundamental flaws in our current child welfare system that impede progress to ensure every child's well-being.

http://grassley.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=5042&Month=4&Year=2006