Impact and Response

8.7 Million Children
nationwide have a parent with a substance use disorder 1
1.435 Million
children are living with a parent with opioid use disorder 2
240 Thousand
children had a parent die due to opioid overdose 3
325 Thousand
children have been removed from the home due to parental opioid use 4

Learn more about the impact and response to youth victims.

Age of Children Impacted

  • 0–5 years
    904,000
  • 6–11 years
    662,000
  • 12–17 years
    610,000 5

Opioid/Substance Use Exposure > Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and vulnerability to additional ACEs

  • Physical, emotional or sexual abuse
  • Physical or emotional neglect
  • Loss of or separation from parent
  • Exposure to violence 6

Learn more about the impact and response to youth victims.

Extended ACEs exposure can result in toxic stress that interferes with

a child's brain
development

their ability to manage / regulate stress response

Learn more about the impact and response to youth victims.

Toxic stress adversely impacts the child's ability to

  • sleep
  • pay attention
  • make decisions
  • learn
  • manage behavior
  • establish secure attachments

And potentially can result in

  • increased risky behaviors (smoking, alcohol/drug use)
  • poor academic achievement
  • increased likelihood of chronic disease

Learn more about the impact and response to youth victims.

Responding to Children and Youth

OVC funded 59 child/youth focused projects in 37 states beginning in 2018

Raising Awareness
exclamation point in an orange triangle
  • Child – Youth Victimization
  • Disease of Addiction
  • Youth-Driven & Family-Focus
  • Culturally Responsive
  • Advancing Trauma-Informed Practice and Evidence-Based Services
  • Informed Policy Making
  • Active Cross-Sector Partnering
  • Data Informed Decision Making

Learn more about the impact and response to youth victims.

Best, Promising and Innovative Work Underway

Throughout the United States, children and their families are feeling the impact of substance use. About 1 in 8 children ages 17 or younger reside in a home where at least one parent has a substance use disorder.

Learn more about the work that helps put children and families back on the path forward.

Popular Resources

Emoji Drug Code Decoded

A reference guide parents and others about the use of emojis in conjunction with illegal drugs.

SPACECAT - Suicide Overdose and Adverse Chilhood Experiences Prevention Capacity Assessment Tool

The Suicide, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Capacity Assessment Tool (SPACECAT) is designed for local, state, and territorial health agencies to better understand their capacity to address suicide, overdose, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Five Things About School-Based Violence Prevention and Intervention Programs (NIJ)

Statement sheet highlighting school-based prevention and intervention programs.
View more popular resources

What's Happening?

Funding Announcement: 2022 Native Voices Rising, Application Deadline July 15, 2022

Friday, May 27, 2022
Grant partnerships supporting a range of progressive programs in Native communities.

Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Project Safe Neighborhoods, JustGrants Deadline July 19, 2022

Friday, May 27, 2022
Funding for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

Recovery Innovation Challenge: Discovering New Ideas to Advance Recovery (SAMHSA); Phase 1 Submission Ends July 15, 2022

Wednesday, May 25, 2022
The goal of this challenge is to identify innovative practices developed by individuals, groups, and organizations or within state systems that advanced recovery in the decade since SAMHSA established its working definition of recovery. This challenge will allow participants to share details...
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Getting involved improves prospects for the protections and promising futures children and youth deserve.

Our Partners and Other Supporters

For a list of all of our partners and supporters visit Our Supporters page.