Re: “A victim of Gov. Ferguson’s veto: Kent center for babies exposed to drugs” (June 28, Opinion):
For 15 years, I worked with women who used substances during pregnancy. I visited the Pediatric Interim Care Center often as well as with other medical and care providers.
The people at PICC care, but things have changed. With newer medications, babies don’t struggle with withdrawal as much as they did with methadone. Most hospitals now allow mothers to room in with their newborns. This is good for the baby and good for the mother’s recovery. Babies at PICC are in foster care. Their mothers are required to do services to aid and support their recovery. PICC’s location and visiting schedule were always a challenge for mothers. This often resulted in the child being removed permanently.
Washington has many programs that serve many more mothers and babies, including residential treatment programs and home-visitation programs. These programs are also more cost-effective. Trying to keep the family together, with mom being clean and sober, can break the multigenerational cycle.
Babies and children need to be safe; I have made many calls to report abuse and neglect. But, working in jails now, I know that there are long-term consequences when we don’t try to keep families together.
Nancy Whitney, Renton
